COMELEC headed by Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia Acts Swiftly in Response to Supreme Court TROs Ahead of 2025 Elections

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has announced its full adherence to the Supreme Court's issuance of Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) concerning cases of local candidates for the upcoming May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections. This move underscores the commission's commitment to ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process, amidst the challenges posed by legal disputes.

Vote Pilipinas and Youth Leaders Rally For Youth Vote, Visayas Vote at Latest Magparehistro Ka! Town Hall

Vote Pilipinas, the official voter registration information campaign of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), held the second of its three-part town hall series on July 30, 2021, which aims to educate Filipinos to register to vote. Over various online platforms, the Magparehistro Ka Town Hall, in partnership with Smart Communications, gathered COMELEC officials and youth representatives to appeal to those living in the Visayas region and to the younger generation. The virtual event took place just as we hit the two-month mark on the deadline to register for the 2022 national and local elections by September 30, 2021.

This is Where We Currently Stand in Voter Registration—and How Far We Have to Go

Vote Pilipinas, the official voter information registration campaign of the Commission on Elections, holds the first of three Town Halls calling more people to register to vote.

With three months left until the deadline of voter registration, where do we stand in terms of the number of registered voters? There are now 60 million registered voters and 4.3 million new voters who will place their ballots in the 2022 Local and National Elections, according to the Commissions on Elections (COMELEC) Director James Jimenez. COMELEC projects that the number of registered voters will be at 62 million in time for elections next year. This data was released and presented during the Magparehistro Ka! virtual town hall organized by non-profit and non-partisan campaign Vote Pilipinas. The virtual event held over Zoom on July 8, 2021 featured a line-up of speakers including Jimenez,  who talked about the current state of voter registration in the Philippines and the collective action Filipinos must take to close the gap before registration closes in September 2021.

Vote Pilipinas Launches the First Magparehistro Ka! Town Hall to Encourage Voter Registration

Vote Pilipinas, a non-partisan non-profit organization operated by Impact Hub Manila, continues to educate Filipino voter registrants through the launch of the first of three Town Halls under its Magparehistro Ka! campaign. The online event takes place on Thursday, July 8, at 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will be accessible through Zoom and Facebook Live. In partnership with the Commission on Election (COMELEC), these Town Halls will feature COMELEC’s latest data, updates on Vote Pilipinas, showcase sessions with some of Luzon’s Office of Election Officers (OEOs), as well as opportunities to ask COMELEC any questions on the registration process.

COMELEC Commissioner Rowena Guanzon will give the keynote address before COMELEC director James Jimenez and Vote Pilipinas lead Ces Rondario will present the latest data from COMELEC and where we are now in terms of voter registration. This is against the target of 7 million newly registered voters that COMELEC aims to secure before registration for the 2022 National and Local Elections ends on September 30, 2021.

COMELEC, DFA-OVS remind overseas Filipinos to register to vote for the 2022 presidential elections

The system of continuing registration of voters for the 2022 Philippine national and local elections is ongoing.

The Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs-Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) are reminding all overseas Filipinos to register before the deadline on September 30, 2021.

When is the next Overseas Voting Registration Period?

Registration begins on 16 December 2019 and will end on 30 September 2021.

Who can register as an Overseas Voter?

Under Republic Act No. 9189 as amended by Republic Act No. 10590, all citizens of the Philippines or dual Filipino-American citizens, who are not disqualified by law, at least 18 years of age by 09 May 2022 may register as an Overseas Voter and vote for President, Vice-President, Senators, and Party List Representatives in the upcoming 2022 elections.

DepEd Statement on the newly signed Election Service Reform Act

The Department of Education (DepEd) welcomes the newly signed Election Service Reform Act, which makes election duties voluntary for public school teachers. We always welcome legislation that promote and uphold the rights and safety of our teachers. We are confident that our public school teachers will always be ready to help and serve our countrymen. 

GMA Network seeks review of COMELEC Resolution No. 9615

GMA Network, Inc. (“GMA” or “the Network”) expressed serious concerns and reservations on certain provisions of Resolution No. 9615, (the Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act No. 9006 otherwise known as the ‘Fair Election Act’) (the “New Rules”), affecting the broadcast industry.

In a letter dated January 23, 2013, GMA, through its Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, Consultant to the Chairman and CEO Pacifico A. Agabin, Vice President for Legal Affairs Atty. Ma. Luz P. Delfin, and Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion and Lucila Law Office urged the Honorable Commission to recall and revisit said provisions based on certain procedural and substantive concerns.  

GMA raised its concern on the manner of passage of Resolution No. 9615 as COMELEC did not conduct any public hearing especially among those affected by the resolution. GMA noted that the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines requires due notice to all interested parties as well as an opportunity for the same to be heard.

Considering that substantive rights of various parties shall be affected by the New Rules, GMA questioned the propriety of its promulgation without public participation.

Its time PILIPINAS, VOTE!

The time has come for us to be part of history. This is the first automated election in the country and will be known even after centuries to come (if 2012 will not perish us all). This is also a day for us to exercise our right to suffer ... este suffrage in other words, vote. I have still some positions that I am still deciding who will I choose. Also this is the first Social Media Coverage of the elections. We should also take caution and vigilance with the different forces that will clash later. Also I would like to still and ever continue to ask to vote according to your will and make sure that the one you chose is the one is the one you will not regret after this. Be firm. many would still be undecided up to now, yet keep your vote sacred. 

Think your not significant since your just a speck of vote, think again. If that would be the mentality of all the Pinoy voters, the scenario will result that will be determined by just alliances. On record there are over 50 million plus plus plus voters in the Philippines. And it would really matter since the beneficiaries of it will be the almost 94-100 million Filipino who are mostly under the poverty line. Yeah I think you know that already, so why wait to make these ill-figures grow when the power to really change is in a vote.

Doing your part for this day will be a citizen effort, not just yours, not just mine, but ours. Shared responsibility and liability. This is the day that we have been waiting for more than 6 years, or you can say 9 years. Its our actions who will make us live better or worse. If everyone is in, no one will get hurt, no one will die, no one will be sacrificed. If this is a little bit idealistic for you, then better make your own country, because a Pinoy will strive for a better country which many have already died for it.

So what can you do? You are now the new media...

Here are some information that can help you.

Through Blog Watch
1. If you have twitter account, use the hashtags #juanvote
2. Email news, url of your post , photos, url of photo gallery, video gallery

elections2010@thepoc.net

3. We will have updates every 2-3 hours on May 10 so the more frequent the news, the better

Through #juanvote
#juanvote welcomes all types of reports through the following:

* Twitter Use hashtag #juanvote
* Email report@juanvote.com
* Text and send to any of the following numbers:
o 09274004190
o 09995178201
o 09223913567

What to report

REPORT ANY INCIDENT THAT VIOLATES THIS GENERAL RULE: All eligible voters have a right to vote freely and to have those votes counted quickly and accurately to determine the winners in the electoral contests.

Voting Issues

* Delays in opening of precincts
* Preventing any registered voter to cast a vote
* Missing names of registered voters in List of Voters
* Receiving a ballot that has already been pre-marked or with shading
* Any person checking out how a voter is casting a vote (violation of privacy and secrecy)
* Precinct runs out of ballots (If precinct runs out of ballots, a voter should be allowed to cast votes in next precinct)
* Precinct runs out of markers
* Precinct has wrong ballot
* Suspension of voting for whatever purpose
* Non-use or unavailability of indelible ink to mark voters who have already voted
* Premature closing of precincts

Automated Election System Issues

* No PCOS machine in precinct
* PCOS machine malfunctions
* PCOS machine rejects ballots
* CF card (memory card) malfunctions
* Brownouts at any time on Election Day at the precincts
* Unauthorized personnel (non-COMELEC) accessing the PCOS machine
* Stealing or destruction of the PCOS machine

Election Violence

* Unauthorized presence of armed military or police personnel
* Unauthorized presence of unidentifiable armed persons (private armies, militias)
* Fighting in precincts, polling centers and canvassing centers
* Any physical attack or threat of physical attack against any teacher or official authorized by the COMELEC, or against any voter, any group of voters, any candidate, or supporters of any candidate or party

COMELEC: Prohibited acts on Election Day

* Campaigning
* Selling, furnishing, offering, buying, serving or taking intoxicating liquor
* Giving, accepting free transportation, food, drinks and things of value
* Soliciting votes or undertaking any propaganda for or against any candidate or any political party within the polling place or within thirty (30) meters thereof
* Voting more than once or in substitution of another
* Holding of fairs, cockfights, boxing, horse races or other any other similar sports
* Opening of booths or stalls for the sale, etc., of merchandise, or refreshments within a radius of thirty meters from the polling place

Other Hotlines

* COMELEC: 525-9296, 5259345, 5275574, 5271892, 5259335, 5259294, 5270821, 5259297
* PPCRV: 5253476, 5265694, 5260869, 5261417, 5260012, 5236574, 5254992, 5264572, 5262248
* NAMFREL: 4704151, 4847590, 0927-9611524, 0919-3389344
* KONTRA DAYA: 5693427, 0921-2953004, 0915-2332413