Comelec to launch voters’ education campaign for BARMM polls
Commission on Elections. Inquirer file photo.
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said that the poll body will launch a month-long voters’ education campaign starting August 20 for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary elections.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia underscored the importance of explaining to the 2.3 million voters of Bangsamoro why the first parliamentary elections will be held on October 13.
“We just can’t tell them to go to their precincts, vote and shade ballots. They should be informed of the voting process, and the system so they will know who they will vote for,” Garcia said on the sidelines of the Special Register Anywhere Program at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
READ: Comelec: Only 73 parliament seats to be contested in BARMM polls
Garcia shared that the voters’ education drive will begin in Cotabato while there will be a briefing in Zamboanga on the last Friday of August for residents of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.
He then said that the poll body may return to Cotabato in September for the residents of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte and special geographic areas.
He noted that as part of the campaign, the poll body will conduct automated counting machine demonstrations, and even the proper shading of ballots.
He also said that they will have to enlighten the voters on why there are images of candidates and logos of political parties in ballots.
“For the first time in the history of elections, we have none of the above in the choices… If you don’t have a choice, it’s a declaration that you don’t want to vote for anyone,” Garcia added.
Garcia previously said that the parliamentary elections will push through with 73 parliament seats to be contested.
The poll body earlier explained that this is due to the absence of a law seeking to reapportion the seven remaining seats.
The elections were set to fill 80 seats. However, only 73 seats are at stake since Sulu province, which had seven seats, was excluded from the region.
The exclusion came after the Supreme Court granted Sulu’s petition to be excluded from the region after the province rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law in a plebiscite.
Gun ban period
The poll body will also implement a gun ban from August 14 to October 28, 2025, covering the entire election period.
READ: Comelec to enforce gun ban for BARMM poll starting Aug. 14
During this period, carrying firearms without a Comelec exemption is prohibited even if they have permit to carry, unless the Gun Ban and Security Concerns issues a Certificate of Authority.
Garcia then advised the residents of Maguindanao to abide by the gun ban and warned them of possible repercussions.
“Your license will not just be cancelled because you will also be imprisoned,” Garcia said.
Violators of the gun may face the following penalties:
- Imprisonment of one to six years, without probation
- Disqualification from holding public office and loss of right to vote
- Deportation for foreigners, after serving the prison term
The application for the gun ban exemption will run from July 14 to October 14, 2025. /mr
