COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday appealed to security forces—particularly the Philippine National Police (PNP)—to ensure absolute protection for voters, electoral boards, commission personnel, and the press ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Speaking at a press conference organized by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Media Division at a hotel in Davao City on Aug. 4, Garcia emphasized that security and swift law enforcement are critical to guaranteeing a peaceful and credible electoral process in the region.
“Kindly please protect our voters, ensure that our electoral board members are safe, and ensure that personnel of the Commission on Elections and the media will be safe and freely report all incidents and news,” Garcia said.
“If we are able to do that, we can easily proclaim that this is the best election in the Bangsamoro region,” he added.
The Comelec chief expressed frustration over pre-election violence and harassment targeting individuals engaging in simple campaign activities.
He urged law enforcement agencies to act swiftly against perpetrators of violence rather than letting culprits escape with impunity.
“Protect the people. Just because someone hung a campaign poster doesn’t mean they should be shot,” Garcia remarked in Tagalog, addressing the PNP directly. “The most important thing is that when these culprits commit a crime, they are arrested immediately. That is my plea, especially to the PNP.”
Ballot distribution timeline set
Addressing logistical preparations, Garcia clarified that while secondary election materials such as ballot boxes and batteries are already being prepared for transport, official printed ballots remain securely held to prevent security risks.
He disclosed that Comelec is intentionally holding back the dispatch of ballots because no excess copies were printed.
“We have not sent out the actual ballots yet because that is extremely crucial. Do not send out the ballots early,” Garcia stressed, adding that official ballot transmissions to destination centers in the region are scheduled to begin in the first week of September.
