May 12 polls to go on ‘at all costs’ even if Kanlaon’s activity worsens

The May 12 polls will go ahead “at all costs” even if the restiveness of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island further escalates, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday, May 1, 2025. —Photo from Phivolcs

MANILA, Philippines—The May 12 polls will go ahead “at all costs” even if the restiveness of Kanlaon Volcano on Negros Island further escalates, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Thursday.

Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia made the statement when asked if the May mid-term elections would be postponed if the activity of the Kanlaon Volcano escalated from the current Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 4.

Alert Level 4 means that a hazardous eruption is imminent and volcanic unrest is intensified.

“Ang ating ambisyon, at all costs, walang failure of elections, walang postponement of elections. Wala po tayong gagawing idedeklara na resetting of elections. Dapat at all costs, lahat makaboto sa Mayo 12,” Garcia told reporters in an interview.

(Our ambition is that, at all costs, there will be no failure and postponement of elections. We will not declare or reset elections. [The voters] must vote at all costs on May 12.)

Kanlaon Volcano remains at Alert Level 3, indicating magmatic unrest, after its explosive eruption on December 9, 2024, and April 8, 2025. The eruption resulted to widespread ashfall and displacement of many residents from Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

READ: Kanlaon’s ashfall destroys almost P1 million worth of high-value crops

In a press conference on Thursday, Office of Civil Defense Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said around 2,800 families or 8,300 individuals are seeking evacuation after the eruptions.

Affected voters

During the poll body’s visit to La Carlota South Elementary School in Negros Occidental to conduct voter education and demonstration of the automated counting machines, Garcia assured the evacuees that they can still vote despite their circumstances.

“Maaaring hindi sila gano’n karami pero nangangahulugan lamang na ang Comelec ay pwedeng magkaroon ng halalan sa mga lugar na kakaunti para makaboto yung mga kababayan natin. Wala tayong iiwanan,” Garcia noted.

(There may not be many voters, but it means that the Comelec can hold elections in places with few voters. We will not leave anyone.)

In a separate press conference, Comelec Executive Director for Operations Rafael Olaño said that the prompting of alert level 3 affected 16,991 registered voters in Negros Occidental and 7,371 registered voters in Negros Oriental.

READ: Comelec eyes makeshift precincts in areas affected by Kanlaon

Olaño added that Alert Level 4 can increase affected registered voters to 75,771 in Negros Occidental and 37,690 in Negros Oriental.

Meanwhile, Garcia said that satellite voting places will be located outside of the voters’ original polling places. He also said that the La Carlota South Elementary School will not be used as a satellite place since it will be used in the elections.

Garcia noted that the evacuees in that school will be transported by the Department of Social Welfare and Development to a nearby school so they can vote comfortably. He added that the basketball court of a school can serve as a makeshift polling precinct once Alert Level 4 is prompted.