SUPPORTERS of Marcelo “Mar” Masilungan, through Maria Javier, submitted a petition with 1,048 signatures to Philippine Vice Consul Sheila Mae Briones on Monday.
The petition expressed support for the appointment of Masilungan as the Philippine honorary consul to the CNMI.
“We do support Mr. Masilungan and his capacity to do his best to serve our Filipino community here in CNMI. With his dedication and public service, we are confident that he can fulfill the duties and responsibilities of Honorary Consul,” the petition stated.
Javier told the Guam-based vice consul that the signatures were collected in a span of two weeks.
“There are more petitions going around on Tinian, Rota, and Saipan,” she added as she expressed her appreciation to the individuals who signed the petition and the volunteers who collected the signatures.
The passing of Honorary Consul Glicerio “Eli” Del Mundo Arago on Nov. 24, 2021 resulted in closure of the Philippine Honorary Consulate on Saipan.
The honorary consul, who is an appointee of the Philippine government, is a volunteer and does not receive any official budget from the Philippine government.
The honorary consul, among other things, must have good moral character and “sufficient resources to provide and maintain” his or her office.
4-day consular mission
In related news, a team from the Philippine Consulate General on Guam conducted consular outreach services on Saipan from April 29 to May 2 at Sun Palace Hotel in Susupe.
The team also received the absentee ballots of registered Filipino voters on Saipan.
As for Filipino voters on Tinian and Rota, they can mail their absentee ballots to the consulate on Guam.
“We are happy to report that the consular services and mobile voting mission on Saipan went smoothly,” Briones said.
She is also recommending that Filipino voters update their post office box numbers for the next absentee voter registration.
“We are a postal jurisdiction, and it’s important that they have the correct and updated P.O. box numbers when they register for absentee voting. Because if not, they will not receive their ballots,” Briones said.
The Philippines is holding its national election on Monday, May 9, 2022.
Registered Filipino voters on Rota, Tinian, and Saipan started receiving their absentee ballots after the consulate on Guam mailed them on April 10, 2022.
Absentee Filipino voters will choose their candidates for president, vice president, 12 senators, and a party-list group for the House of Representatives.
According to the Philippine Commission on Elections or Comelec, there are over 1.7 million registered absentee Filipino voters worldwide. Of this number, Comelec said 2,946 have registered in the CNMI, 7,796 on Guam, 861 in Palau, 273 in the FSM and 81 in the Marshall Islands.
The Philippines has a total of 67.5 million registered voters, Comelec said.
Maria Javier, right, presents a petition supporting the appointment of Marcelo “Mar” Masilungan as honorary Philippine consul to the CNMI to Philippine Vice Consul Sheila Mae Briones.
Filipinos on Saipan avail themselves of the consular services provided by a visiting Philippine Consulate General team from Guam on Monday at Sun Palace Hotel in Susupe. Registered absentee voters also cast their ballots.
