ROME – Some of the more than 13,000 Filipino voters based in Italy are starting to receive their postal ballots for the Philippine presidential elections.

The Philippine embassy in Rome chose the postal voting system for the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV). Automated polls will be done only in Hong Kong and Singapore.

However, voters who received their postal ballots are still confused about how they should fill up the ballots and when to send it back to the embassy. They raised their questions to the embassy to ensure that their votes will not be rejected.

The voting for the OAV begins on April 10 to May 10, 2010.

“Ito bang OAV na natanggap ko ay ipapadala na ba agad o kailangan ko pang antayin ang April 10? Kung tayo ba mamamayan ang maglalagay ng stamp para ipadala sa Philippine Embassy hindi pa ito klaro?” said Yolly Abu.

Pye Santos also went also to the embassy because he has yet to receive his ballot after moving to another address. He gave the embassy his new address where the postal ballot should be mailed.

“Marami sa community ay nakatanggap na, pero ako bigla ko naalala na ang address ko ay luma pa kaya dali-dali akong nagsadya ako sa embassy para inform na ako ay nagpalit ng bagong address, kasi sayang naman po kung hindi tayo makakaboto," said Santos.

Mario Malaluan’s case is different. He personally went to the embassy to send his ballot back after reportedly filling it up. However, embassy officials told him that they are not yet ready to collect the ballots as they have yet to receive the official ballot boxes.

“Nagpunta nga ako dito sa embassy para nga magtanong kung paano. Pagdating dito eh ang sabi sa akin ay bumalik na lang sa April 10 kasi wala pa daw silang ballot box. Hindi naman daw basta pwede kunin iyon kasi baka sabihin na sila ay bias," said Malaluan.

The embassy in Rome is reportedly waiting for instructions from the Comelec regarding the postal ballots.
 
They advised those who have received their postal ballots to keep them and await final instructions on how and when to fill up the ballots and where to send them afterwards.

Those who have yet to receive their ballots are advised to furnish the embassy with their exact address.

Meanwhile, embassy staff traveled to Mardrid on March 9 to join a Comelec OAV training seminar.