Comelec calls for safety, security of voters in Bangsamoro region

MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Thursday appealed to the Bangsamoro government to ensure the safety of voters in the 2025 elections amid cases of violence in the region.

During a roundtable interview with INQUIRER.net reporters, Garcia was asked if he had any “special appeal” to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to address the growing concern of violence in the region.

He said that the call will be directed to the Bangsamoro government instead, and not to the MILF.

“This is an appeal to the Bangsamoto government to help us ensure the safety of the people so that they will be able to vote and they will not be terrorized,” Garcia answered would be deemed useless if they would read votes garnered from vote-buying and terrorism.

“The machines will just count what we feed them — all the ballots. But the machine will not be able to detect vote-buying,  intimidation, and terrorism,” he added.

Garcia once again expressed concern on the increase of violence in Northern Mindanao. 

“I hope that the PNP [Philippine National Police] and AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] will be able to neutralize the groups that will be committing violence against the people,” he said.

He reiterated that the Comelec was eyeing to make a new assessment with the PNP to classify areas under concern for the 2025 polls. 

He also said that there were still 38 areas across the country placed under the red category — or areas with serious or grave threats amid the preparations for the 2025 polls.

Thirty-two areas are in the  Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, two each in Cagayan Valley and Bicol region, and one each in Western and Eastern Visayas.