MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has rejected calls to institutionalize online voting in the Senate, saying there is “no good reason” to maintain the practice under normal circumstances.
In a press briefing in Tokyo on Friday, Marcos said remote voting was only introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic due to health risks and restrictions on physical gatherings.
He stressed that those extraordinary conditions are no longer present, making online voting unnecessary.
“I do not see any particularly good reason for us to allow that now,” Marcos said, adding that he disagreed with proposals to extend the arrangement.
The President underscored that legislative voting should require lawmakers to be physically present, citing concerns over transparency and adherence to parliamentary rules.
He warned that allowing remote participation could undermine established Senate procedures and weaken accountability in lawmaking.
Marcos also raised concerns about potential misuse of absentee voting arrangements, particularly involving legislators with pending legal matters, though he did not provide specifics.
He pointed out that the Senate has long upheld the principle that voting must take place on the floor with members present.
According to him, the temporary shift to online voting during the pandemic was purely a response to health and safety risks, which no longer apply today.
With that, Marcos maintained that Congress should return to traditional in-person voting practices.
ia/xf
