Commission on Elections (COMELEC) – Page 3

Muntinlupa Mayor and One Muntinlupa teammates file certificates of candidacy (COCs)

October 5, 2024October 4, 2024carlocarrasco

Very recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, Mayor Ruffy Biazon and his teammates under the One Muntinlupa banner filed their respective certificates of candidacy (COCs) at the local Commission on Elections (COMELEC) office for the May 2025 elections, according to Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Reelectionist Muntinlupa Mayor Ruffy Biazon and candidates from the One Muntinlupa (1Munti) political party filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) on Oct. 4 for the May 12, 2025 national and local elections.

They all trooped to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Muntinlupa office at South Park Center in Alabang to submit their COCs.

Biazon is running for reelection for his second term as mayor.

His vice mayoral bet is Allen Fresnedi-Ampaya who is the barangay captain of Poblacion and the president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in Muntinlupa.

Rep. Jaime Fresnedi also accompanied them and will be filing his COC with the Office of the Regional Election Director-National Capital Region in San Juan.

One Muntinlupa has been accredited by the Comelec as an official party-list.

The political party’s candidates for councilor in District 1 (Barangays Tunasan, Poblacion, Putatan and Bayanan) are re-electionists Atty. Raul Corro (majority floor leader of the City Council), Atty. Rachel Arciaga, Paty Katy Boncayao, Alexson Diaz, Ting Niefes, and Jedi Presnedi, and Amanda Camilon and Walter Arcilla.

The candidates for councilor in District 2 (Barangays Alabang, Ayala Alabang, Sucat, Cupang and Buli) are re-electionists Ryan Bagatsing, Engr. Arlene Hilapo, Eliot Martinez, Dado Moldez, and Metong Sevilla, and Shalimar Baes-Reyes, Kaye Ann Rongavilla and Atty. Reggie Landrito.

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a resident of Muntinlupa City, have you decided already which candidates to vote for in the May 2025 local elections? Are you satisfied with the way the current administration at City Hall has been governing since mid-2022?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COMELEC requires candidates and political parties to register their digital accounts for 2025 election campaigning

September 26, 2024September 19, 2024carlocarrasco

With the 2025 National and Local Elections gradually approaching, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) told candidates and political parties to have their social media and online accounts registered and they must follow the rules that were recently announced, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

For the newcomers reading this, the heavy use of social media, digital activities and websites is election campaigns of the past several years by candidates and parties or political groups is the new normal here in the Philippines and there is simply no stopping it from further rising. Along the way, fake news, rumors and misleading pieces of information transpired. If these negative elements are left unchecked, it could make election integrity in the Philippines very questionable.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Candidates and political parties that would use internet and social media in campaigning for the 2025 midterm polls have to register their accounts with the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

In a Sept. 17 resolution made available Wednesday, the poll body said official social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms of candidates, and parties intending to participate in the polls and their respective campaign teams that are primarily designed or used to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates should be registered with the Comelec-Education and Information Department (EID).

The registration period will commence within 30 calendar days after the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) or from Nov. 8 to Dec. 13 this year. The filing period of COCs is from Oct. 1 to 8.

The registration form for social media accounts and other online and internet-based campaign platforms may be submitted only by the candidates and their authorized representatives, as well as authorized representatives of registered political parties/ coalitions, and party-list organizations.

The forms should be submitted to the EID, through the official online channels that will be provided by the Comelec.

Prohibited acts – The Comelec also listed acts that would be considered misuse and malicious use of digital technology in campaigning:

– use of “false amplifiers”, such as fake accounts, bots, and astroturf groups filled with fake users to propagate disinformation and misinformation in endorsing or campaigning against a candidate, a political party / coalition, or party-list organizations, or to propagate disinformation, and misinformation targeting the Philippine election system, the Comelec, and electoral processes during the election and campaign period;

– coordinated inauthentic behavior and utilization of hyperactive users for the aforementioned purposes;

– creation and dissemination of deepfakes, cheapfakes, and soft fakes for the aforementioned purposes;

– use of fake and unregistered social media accounts during the election and campaign period for the same purposes;

– creation and dissemination of fake news in furtherance of the aforementioned purposes.

It warned that such acts may constitute as an election offense under Section 261 (z) (11) of the Omnibus Election Code.

Task force – The poll body also created the Task Force sa Katotohanan, Katapatan at Katarungan sa Halalan (Task Force KKK sa Halalan) tasked to oversee the implementation of the guidelines, review of registration forms, validation, approval and endorsement to the Commission en banc.

It is also tasked to monitor registered and unregistered social media and online accounts or websites which are used to endorse or campaign against candidates, political parties/ coalitions, party-list organizations; to issue show cause order, and initial investigation of detected or reported prohibited acts under these guidelines; motu proprio filing of complaints against erring candidates, parties, individuals, and other entities.

The task force will be headed by the chiefs of the poll body’s EID and Law Department as chairperson and co-chairperson, respectively.

Election, campaign period – The Comelec added the election period for the 2025 midterm polls would be from Jan. 12 to June 11, 2025.

The campaign period for those seeking national positions (senator and party-list groups) will start on Feb. 11, 2025 and will run until May 10, 2025.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think all those many rules announced by COMELEC will help reduce, if not prevent, misinformation, fake news and other distortions from impacting the election campaigns and the voters? Do you agree with the COMELEC requiring candidates and political parties to have their digital accounts registered before they could campaign?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Over 550,000 voter reactivation applications processed by COMELEC

September 24, 2024September 17, 2024carlocarrasco

More than five hundred fifty thousand voter applications for reactivation were processed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday it has processed more than half a million applications for voter reactivation.

Citing its latest data, the poll body said it has received 556,231 applications for reactivation from Feb. 12 to Sept. 11. Of the number, 342,991 applicants have sought for their voter registration to be reactivated.

There are 102,410 individuals applied for reactivation with correction of entries while 81,649 people applied for transfer with reactivation. A total of 29,181 applicants sought a transfer with reactivation and correction of entries.

The number of reactivation applications is only 10 percent of the number of deactivated voter registration records. Latest data showed that there are 5,376,630 voters, whose records have been deactivated.

Majority of them, or 5,371,376, were due to their failure to vote in two successive preceding elections.

A total of 4,212 were deactivated due to exclusion orders from courts and 1,004 for failure to validate.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are there many members of your local community who visited the nearest COMELEC office for voter registration or reactivation?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Over 6 million voter applications processed by COMELEC

September 14, 2024September 13, 2024carlocarrasco

Over six million voter applications were processed by the Commission on Election (COMELEC), according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday it has processed over 6 million voter applications since the registration period started seven months ago.

Citing its latest data, the poll body has received 6,131,834 applications filed from Feb. 12 to Sept. 11.

The region with the most number of applicants is still Calabarzon with 1,020,212; followed by the National Capital Region with 794,855; and Central Luzon with 691,627. Cordillera Administrative Region has the lowest number of applicants processed with 86,991.

Aside from voter registration, the poll body also accepts transfer, change/corrections of entries in the registration records, reactivation of registration records, inclusion of registration records and reinstatement of name in the list of voters, and transfer of registration records from foreign service post to local.

Eligible to register as voters must be 18 years old and above, residing in the Philippines for at least one year, and residing in the area where he/she is looking to get registered for at least six months prior to Election Day.

The voter registration for next year’s midterm polls would end on Sept. 30.

Meanwhile, the poll body said the number of deactivated voters is now at 5,376,630 as of July 15. A majority of the deactivated voters are those that failed to vote in two successive preceding elections totaling to 5,371,376.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are there many voters in your local community who need to apply at the local COMELEC office? Are there many members in your local community who intend to vote in the 2025 National and Local Elections?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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24,000 automated counting machines of Miru Systems now in the Philippines

September 2, 2024September 1, 2024carlocarrasco

The initial batch of 24,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) from the contracted provider Miru Systems arrived here in the Philippines for use in the 2025 National and Local Elections, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Be reminded that Miru Systems previously declared that it would deliver 110,000 ACMs for the said polls.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Over 20,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) that will be used in the May 12, 2025 national and local elections are now in the country, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Saturday.

In a press briefing during a visit to a warehouse in Biñan, Laguna, Comelec Chair George Garcia reported that so far, 24,000 ACMs have been delivered by the joint venture of Miru Systems, service provider for next year’s polls.

Garcia showed 7,400 of the machines while there are still 7,000 to be released by the Bureau of Customs.

“Dapat ang commitment sa atin ng Miru para sa buwan ng August ay 20,000 lang so lumalabas sumobra sila sa kanilang commitment ng (Miru committed just 20,000 for August so they exceeded by) 4,000,” he said.

As for other electronic machines and items that will be also be used in polls, Garcia said the South Korean-based company has fulfilled its commitment 100 percent.

Among the items are consolidated canvassing system laptops and printers, cable ties, toners, test ballots, application servers and database servers, Garcia said.

A total of 110,000 ACMs are expected before the end of the year — 30,000 each in September and October and the rest by December.

Comelec officials visited the warehouse with election stakeholders such the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections and Legal Network for Truthful Elections.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Miru Systems will live up to its obligations with regards to the P17.99 billion contract it signed with the government? Do you think the new automated counting machines will work efficiently in next year’s national and local elections?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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More than 5 million voters’ names removed from official list by COMELEC

August 8, 2024July 30, 2024carlocarrasco

Even as millions of voters got registered recently with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for the 2025 National and Local Elections, there are already over five million voters whose names were removed from the official list of registered voters, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

Some 5.1 million names were removed from the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) official list of registered voters for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE), the poll body said Tuesday.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said a total of 5,105,191 registered voters were deactivated from the official list while 248,972 names were deleted.

“‘(Those) deleted [were] because of death [and] multiple and double registration,” Garcia told reporters in a Viber message.

Reasons for the delisting were failure to vote in two successive preceding regular elections, by court order, loss of Filipino citizenship, and having non-valid documents.

Meanwhile, Garcia said the poll body received a total of 409,329 applications for reactivation from February 12 to July 20.

Last May, the Comelec said 4.2 million names were removed from its official list of voters, mostly from Calabarzon. Meanwhile, 4.6 million voters registered for the 2025 NLE, the poll body said last week.

The voter registration period for the May 2025 midterm polls started on Feb. 12, and will end on Sept. 30.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that the high number of delisted voters could impact the 2025 National and Local Elections somehow?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Voter registrants for 2025 National and Local Elections surpass 4.6 million

August 2, 2024July 26, 2024carlocarrasco

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) recently announced that the number of voters who registered for the 2025 National and Local Elections has reached more than 4.6 million, according to a GMA Network news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has registered over 4.6 million voters for the 2025 May polls.

Data shared with reporters showed there are a total of 4,672,947 new voters for the 2025 NLE as of July 26.

Of the figures, Calabarzon recorded the most number of registrants with 783,860. It was followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) with 641,190; Central Luzon with 545,653; Davao Region with 276,967; and Central Visayas with 249,186. The Comelec main office registered 7,620 new voters.

Meanwhile, female registrants reached 2,415,247 and male registrants stood at 2,257,700.

The voter registration period for the May 2025 midterm polls started on February 12, and will end on September 30, 2024.

Applicants may register from Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at any Comelec office nationwide.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Were there many members of your local community who successfully got registered for next year’s elections?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Voter registrants for 2025 National and Local Elections exceed 4 million

July 9, 2024June 29, 2024carlocarrasco

With the 2025 National and Local Elections less than a year away, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that the number of people who filed applications to get registered as voters has surpassed 4,000,000, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article. The voter registration process will last until the end of September.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…

Over 4 million Filipinos have filed their applications to become registered voters in next year’s midterm polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported on Friday.

Data from the poll body showed that as of June 26, a total 4,057,001 applications have been processed since the voter registration activities resumed on Feb. 12. Of the number, 2,093,011 are females and 1,963,990 are males.

In May, the Comelec met its target of 3 million new voter registrants for the ongoing registration period.

The region with the most number of applicants is Region 4-A (Calabarzon) with with 696,555 (361,671 females and 334,884 males).

This was followed by National Capital Region with 561,714 (304,534 females and 257,180 males), and Region 3 (Central Luzon) with 477,016 (246,218 females and 230,798 males).

The region with the lowest number of registrants is the Cordillera Administrative Region with 53,778 (28,224 females and 25,554 males).

Voter registration activities are held Mondays to Saturdays, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in all Offices of the Election Officer (OEO) nationwide.

The voter registration is until Sept. 30, 2024.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are there lots of people in your local community who intend to get registered to vote in next year’s national and local elections?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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COMELEC may file election-related offense case against suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo following matching fingerprints with Guo Hua Ping

July 1, 2024June 30, 2024carlocarrasco

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that may file an election-related offense case against the controversial suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo following the recent findings that her fingerprints matched those of Guo Hua Ping, according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that Guo has already been charged for alleged human trafficking and has also been expelled by a political party.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Sunday it may file an election-related offense case against suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo following the findings that she and Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping have matching fingerprints.

Comelec chairman George Garcia said that the poll body may file charges “motu proprio” or on its own against Guo based on misrepresentation.

Based on Guo’s Certificate of Candidacy (COC) when she ran as mayor of the Tarlac municipality in the 2022 elections, she signed a declaration that she is a Filipino citizen, and that she is not a permanent resident of or an immigrant to a foreign country.

“Ang isang taong ‘yan ay pupwedeng humarap ng election offense na may three to five years na imprisonment. At the same time, pwedeng maharap ng kasong perjury o…dahil nagsinungaling nga sa isang pinanumpaan na dokumento, kasong falsification [of public document],” Garcia said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(That person may face an election offense with three to five years imprisonment. At the same time, she may face a case of perjury or falsification of public documents because she lied when she signed a sworn document.)

The poll chairman also pointed out that the country’s laws are applicable to anyone, whether they are Filipinos or foreigners. He also said that a government official may still face a criminal case even after getting elected.

“Kahit ang isang taong tumakbo ay hindi nafile-an ng kasong disqualification o kanselasyon ng kanyang candidacy, hindi nangangahulugan na siya ay pupwede nang malibre o ma-abswelto sa kahit na anong obligasyon o responsibilidad lalo pa’t ito’y kasong kriminal, lalo na ‘yung tinatawag na misrepresentation,” Garcia added.

(Even if a case of disqualification or cancellation of candidacy was not filed against a person running for election, it does not mean that s/he can be absolved from any obligation or responsibility, especially a criminal case like misrepresentation.)

The Comelec earlier submitted to the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality the COC and Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of Guo.

According to her COC, the 37-year old Guo declared Tarlac, Tarlac as her place of birth.

Guo also stated in her COC that on the day before the May 9 elections, she has been living in the Philippines for 35 years and two months and she has been living in the municipality of Bamban, Tarlac for 18 years and two months.

However, Senator Risa Hontiveros, as confirmed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), revealed that the embattled mayor and Guo Hua Ping are the same person following finding that they have matching fingerprints.

The NBI also showed a picture of another woman with the name Alice Leal Guo who had the same information as the suspended mayor.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think mayor Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping are one and the same person based on the matching fingerprints?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Great majority of participating Las Piñas City voters approve ordinance on territorial boundaries of barangays during COMELEC-led plebiscite

June 30, 2024carlocarrasco

More than two-thirds of the participating voters of Las Piñas City approved the ordinance setting the territorial boundaries of the twenty barangays during the plebiscite this past Saturday which was handled by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), according to a GMA Network news report. Specifically, 68% of the voters voted in favor of the proposal although COMELEC chairman George Garcia pointed out that the voter turnout was low.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…

Over 41,000 residents (67%) of Las Piñas City on Saturday voted in favor of an ordinance that sets the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays in the city.

Based on the certificate of canvass of votes shared by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia to members of the media, 41,493 residents voted “yes” while 19,498 voted “no” when asked if they agree with delineating the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays.

With this, the ordinance was proclaimed ratified and approved.

“Nanalo po ang ‘yes,’ and therefore epektibo na ang ordinansa tungkol sa pagliliwanag ng paghahati ng bawat barangay doon sa 20 barangays sa Las Piñas,” Garcia said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(‘Yes’ won, and therefore the ordinance regarding the delineation of the division of each barangay in the 20 barangays in Las Piñas is now effective.)

He, however, lamented the low voter turnout which was only around 20%. Las Piñas City has a total of 308,059 registered voters, but only 61,237 voters actually voted in the plebiscite.

Ordinance No. 1941-23 Series of 2023 delineates the territorial boundaries of the 20 barangays in the city in accordance with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ cadastral survey that was completed in March 2015.

The ordinance states that since the creation of the barangays in 1978, “the territorial metes and bounds of the said barangays have not been properly identified such that there are barangays whose land areas are not contiguous and/or overlapping with another barangay.”

“Moreover, confusion in the territorial boundaries of the barangays is being encountered which could cause disputes, or be subject of disputes, especially since the cadastral mapping in 1980 for the barangays conflicted with the boundaries as set forth in the Presidential Decrees,” the ordinance added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think the low turnout of voters during the plebiscite is a major issue? Do you think the newly approved ordinance will solve local problems and confusion with regards to the territorial boundaries of all barangays in the city?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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