ANNOUNCEMENT

 

Philippine Senate and House of Representatives to

Conduct Public Hearing in Hong Kong on Absentee Voting Bill

 

 

          Senator Edgardo Angara, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, will lead a bicameral delegation that will conduct a public hearing in Hong Kong on Friday, 22 February 2002 at the Philippine Consulate regarding the Absentee Voting Bill.

 

          The public hearing is designed to elicit reactions, comments and suggestions from overseas Filipino communities on the bill proposing to enable overseas Filipino citizens to exercise their right to vote in Philippine elections.

 

          Leaders or representatives of Filipino organizations in Hong Kong are invited to attend the public hearing which is scheduled to start promptly at 5:00 p.m.  Interested persons are requested to notify Vice Consul Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo at telephone nos. 28238500 / 28238539.  Participants are requested to be at the Consulate at 4:00 p.m. for a pre-hearing briefing to familiarize themselves with the format of formal congressional hearings.

 

          A copy of the bill has been sent together with invitations to leaders of Filipino organizations to submit their comments not later than 15 February 2002, in order to give the Consulate ample time to collate these and forward them to the bicameral committee in advance.

 

          Copies of the bill are available at the Consulate.

* * *