As part of this year’s national election to choose the Philippine’s new batch of leaders, one-quarter of all registered Filipino voters in Korea cast their ballots on May 9 at the embassy chancery in Seoul.

A total of 3,473 Filipino residents exercised their suffrage rights in the highest turnout in 12 years. It marked the end of the 31-day voting period for overseas polls, with 3,131 voting personally, and 292 travelling to Busan and Daegu in late April to vote.

“Overseas Filipinos living in Korea came out in the highest numbers, the largest crowd since overseas absentee voting privileges were extended for the 2004 presidential elections,” Philippine Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez said. “It’s clear our people have heeded our call to get involved and vote.”

Korea is one of 17 overseas posts, including four in Asia, which adopts a mixed voting system combining personal and postal voting. Seoul is also one of 30 cities using an automated Smartmatic Vote Counting Machine, which shuts down after the polls close, in front of local election watchers.

Hernandez, who chaired the Special Board of Canvassers in Korea, canvassed all cards containing the results of 15 precincts, working past 3 a.m.

Ten hours and 30 minutes after the polls’ closure, the Special Ballot Reception and Custody Group finished its work, including disposing unused ballots and accounting for all election paraphernalia for return delivery by courier to Manila at 4:30 a.m.

“There was consistency between the election returns and canvassing results, and the process was smooth with only minor glitches,” said Rev. Frank Hernando, an accredited poll watcher here for party list group Migrante.

The Philippine embassy in Seoul is the fifth largest in Asia in terms of registered voter number.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)