Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Saturday, May 10, expressed strong confidence in the Filipino electorate, and said that he sees a peaceful and orderly conduct of the mid-term polls on Monday.
Comelec chief confident of peaceful, orderly polls on Monday
By Dhel Nazario
Published May 10, 2025 14:39 pm
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Updated May 10, 2025 15:33 pm
At A Glance
- Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Saturday, May 10, expressed strong confidence in the Filipino electorate, and said that he sees a peaceful and orderly conduct of the mid-term polls on Monday.
“Napakataas po ng paniniwala ko sa ating sambayanang Pilipino, sa ating mga kababayang botante, na sila ay boboto at magiging matahimik ang ating halalan (I have high confidence in the Filipino people, in our voters, that they will vote and that our elections will be peaceful)," he said in a radio interview over DZBB.
He likened the atmosphere at polling places to a fiesta, with long lines of people who are willing to endure the heat and wait patiently to cast their votes.
Garcia added that improvements in the election set-up and process will help ensure a quicker voting experience and a timely proclamation.
He also urged the public to trust in the official process and reject any circulating falsehoods, especially those spread through organized disinformation campaigns.
“Basta paniwalaan lang po natin ang sistema at proseso at huwag po natin paniniwalaan yung mga kasinungalingan lalong-lalo na yung mga organized na tinatawag na misinformation, disinformation at fake news ( Let’s just trust the system and process, and let’s not believe the lies that are being spread to us now, especially the organized misinformation, disinformation, and fake news)," he added.
Last campaign day
On the final day of the campaign period on Saturday, May 10, Garcia reminded candidates and their supporters to cease campaigning at the end of the day, in accordance with the law, and to give voters time to reflect, decide, and pray about their choices.
In a separate interview, Garcia emphasized that the one-day ban on campaigning exists to give the public space to make informed and deliberate choices.
“Yung batas nilagay yan bawal mangampanya isang araw bago mag-eleksyon, upang mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga mamamayan na makapamili na. Kung meron man lang sila isang buong araw, makakapamili sila, makakapag-isip sila, makapagdarasal, sino ba ang iboboto (The law was put in place to ban campaigning a day before the election to give citizens the chance to truly decide. If they have even just one full day, they can think, they can pray, they can discern who to vote for),” Garcia said.
He added that candidates have already been given enough time, particularly 45 days during the local campaign and 90 days during the national campaign. Giving voters a respite for one day could help ensure wiser decisions at the polls.
"So ibigay na po natin sa mga kababayan natin yan. 45 araw naman na ang tinanggal at kinuha natin sa kanila sa lokal at 90 araw sa national. Ibigay natin yung isang araw na yan baka sakali makakapamili ng tama ang ating mga kababayan ( Let’s give that day back to our people. We already took 45 days from them for local, 90 for national campaigns. Maybe this one day could help them choose the right leaders)," he said.
"Kung sa palagay ninyo ay baka mali ang kanilang initial na napili pero at least yung isang araw na yan baka magbabago pa ang kanilang kaisipan tungkol sa pagboto (Even if they were initially set on someone, this day might change their minds),” he added.
Campaign materials must be removed
Garcia also urged candidates to remove their oversized campaign materials, such as tarpaulins and posters, that still litter streets and highways. He noted that these could still be considered active campaigning and may become grounds for disqualification.
“Una pagrespeto doon sa araw na iyan, number two, yung pagkalalaki na campaign materials, tarpaulin, na nagkalat diyan sa kalsada, sa mga highway, pakipatanggal na po kasi baka maconsider yan na kampanyahan pa rin (First, we must respect the day of reflection. Second, those large campaign materials, tarpaulins along roads and highways — please take them down because they could still be considered campaigning)," he said.
Garcia stressed that the campaign ban applies not only to physical campaigning but also to digital platforms.
The poll chief said that the campaign ban also covers social media as well as radio, TV, and newspapers.
Liquor ban
The Comelec chief also reminded the public of the start of the liquor ban and advised voters to avoid alcohol so they can focus on voting.
“Di naman siguro malaking kawalan sa atin na tayo ay hindi muna maglalasing sapagkat mas maganda ay hindi tayo lasing pag tayo boboto. Walang amoy alak kasi para kahit paano ay naka-focus talaga tayo sa paghahalal (It’s not a big sacrifice to skip drinking for now. It’s better if we vote sober, no smell of alcohol, so we can truly focus on choosing our leaders),” he said.
Vote-buying attempts under scrutiny
Garcia raised alarms over widespread vote-buying activities observed as election day draws near. He cited long queues in various areas across the country, including Zamboanga City, Bataan, Quezon City, Batangas, and Laguna, where allegedly cash handouts are taking place.
He noted that some individuals leave these lines carrying envelopes or cards bearing the names or photos of candidates — clear indicators of vote-buying. These cases are being referred to Comelec’s Committee on Kontra Bigay.
“'Pag lalabas may dalang sobre, may picture o card ng mismong kandidato. Ano ibig sabihin doon? Hindi ba vote-buying yun? (We’re seeing people walk out holding envelopes, or cards with the candidate’s picture. What does that mean? Isn’t that vote-buying?)" he said.
"Alam namin dalawa o tatlong araw bago ang eleksyon lalo pa sa gabi bago mag eleksyon kinabukasan yan po ang panahon ng pamimili ng ilan at diyan po kami magmamatyag mabuti (We know this is the time, two or three days before the elections, especially the night before. This is when they try to buy votes, and we will be vigilant),” he added.
Garcia warned candidates that disqualification or legal cases might arise from such practices, no matter how long and hard they’ve campaigned.
“Sayang po yung pinaghirapan natin na napakatagal, napakahaba, pawis, puyat, talagang walang kain. Tapos bandang huli madi-disqualify o fifilean ng kaso (It would be a waste of all your hard work — the long days, the sweat, the sleepless nights — if you end up disqualified or facing charges in the end),” he said.
He also confirmed reports that attempts at vote-buying have surged, mostly still being done in person despite earlier reports of potential digital methods like GCash or PayMaya. So far, Garcia said that they’ve been informed that the transactions are still happening in person.
Lastly, Garcia reiterated his call for candidates to comply with the rules, saying voters already know who they want to vote for by this time.