WITH 76 days before the May 12 national and local polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday declared 95 percent readiness in conducting the midterm poll exercise.
In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia estimated that they are 95 percent prepared to hold the elections given the status of their preparations.
“We are on a high percentage when it comes to our preparations as everything is happening right on time,” he said, citing as an example the ongoing printing of the official ballots, which is already 60 percent complete.
“More or less, we have printed around 44 million to 45 million ballots. We only need to print almost 40 percent of the total ballots,” he said.
The poll chief said they have been given more time allowance after the postponement of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) to October 13, 2025.
The national and local elections is set to be conducted on May 12.
The midterm polls will see the Comelec use the automated election system provided by South Korean firm, Miru Systems, for the first time.
Meanwhile, Garcia clarified that under the guidelines on the conduct of pol debates release by the poll body, the participation of national and local candidates is not yet made mandatory.
He said the possibility of mandating candidates to join election debates is still being studied.
“Obliging or making it mandatory for candidates to attend debates is not yet provided in the guidelines as we are still studying its constitutionality,” he said.
Garcia noted that electoral debates for the 2025 polls will not be conducted and organized by the Comelec. “In the first place, it is not the Comelec that is conducting these debates, but other groups and organizations. That is really up to them,” he said.
What is mandatory, he said, is for debate organizers to invite all candidates for particular positions when conducting debates.
“Not even one candidate should be excluded. Everyone must be invited,” he said.
On the conduct of election surveys, Garcia said polls conducted by the media, religious organizations, and educational institutions are not covered by its regulatory efforts ahead of the May 2025 polls.
Garcia said the poll body is only regulating the operations of polling firms that are doing paid election surveys.
“We want to emphasize that our guidelines do not cover religious organization, cause-oriented groups, civic organizations, and educational institutions. They are not being required to register with us,” he said.
“Even the surveys conducted by newspapers, radio, and television are not covered as these are part of the news and public affairs. We don’t want to violate the freedom of the press,” he added.
The Comelec last week issued a resolution stating that any person, candidate, or organization that conducts and publicly disseminates an election survey must register with the Comelec – Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD).
In addition, the poll body also required all registered survey companies or any entity conducting election surveys to submit a comprehensive report to the Commission, through the PFAD.
Garcia said poll commissioners are set to meet with survey firms on Thursday to discuss the details of the regulatory guidelines
As to the ballots to be used in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE), Garcia said these will feature the images of the candidates and the logos of the political parties.
Speaking in response to the call of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), Garcia said they have long decided to implement such features in the BPE ballots as they are stated under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.
“The ballots for the BPE will bear the pictures of the candidates themselves. Also, the logos of the political parties for the party representation will also be in the official ballots,” he said.
Garcia said they will also include a “None of the Above” option in the list of candidates.
On Sunday, LENTE asked the Comelec to ensure that the BPE ballots will be compliant with the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, particularly on the ballot design, which it said should feature party logos, candidate photos to ease voting for vulnerable voters.
REJECT 11 SENATE BETS
The Kilusan ng Manggagawang Socialista (Socialista) yesterday urged voters to reject 11 senatorial candidates in for being part of political dynasties as well as having links to alleged corrupt and criminal acts.
Socialista members trooped to the Comelec to air their call for the public not to vote for political dynasty members Sen. Imee Marcos (sister of President Marcos Jr.), Rep. Camille Villar (sister of Sen. Mark Villar), Makati Mayor Abby Binay (sister of Sen. Nancy Binay); Sen. Pia Cayetano (sister of Sen. Alan Cayetano); and Erwin and Ben Tulfo (brothers of Sen. Raffy Tulfo).
They also asked voters to deny Senate seats for Sen. Bong Revilla for being linked to the pork barrel scam, and Sen. Bong Go over his alleged links to the Pharmally scandal.
The workers group also said the public should not vote for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa for allegedly being part of extra judicial killing operations; Sen. Lito Lapid for supposedly protecting Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators; and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who is facing child sex trafficking charges.
“Do not vote for senator these members of political dynasty, thieves, rapists, killers, and protectors of illegal businesses,” Socialista said.
Zeroing in on political dynasties, the group said such family members holding government posts have destroyed the spirit of the 1987 Constitution, which prohibits the presence of political dynasties in government.
