2028 elections 'certain to come' — Comelec's Garcia

Commission on Elections chairperson George Erwin Garcia assured the public Thursday that the 2028 national elections will proceed amid speculation that it would not push through.

“With all due respect sa ibang espekulasyon, ang 2028 election ay darating. Yan ay certain to come in the same manner na pagsabi nating certain, a hundred percent may eleksyon sa 2028 dahil ang Comelec ay handang-handa,” Garcia told reporters.

(With all due respect on the speculation, the 2028 elections will come. It is certain to come in the same manner that if we say certain, it is 100 percent because the Comelec is ready.)

The Comelec chairperson made the statement in response to a query about Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks, in which she expressed hope that there would be a presidential election in 2028.

In an interview in The Hague, Netherlands, Duterte said she is already a “presumptive candidate” for the next presidential race after declaring her intention to run.

“I'm already a presumptive candidate because I declared my intention to run for the next presidential elections,” Duterte said.

“We can only pray that there will be a presidential election in 2028 and it will be honest, orderly, and peaceful,” she added.

Garcia also said Comelec is about 50% to 60% prepared for the 2028 polls, pointing out that they are implementing the mandate under the 1987 Philippine Constitution requiring presidential elections every six years.

There are also about 1.3 million newly registered voters from the youth, according to Garcia.

Nationwide voter registration for the 2026 BSKE resumed on October 20, 2025, and will run until May 18, 2026.

Applicants may register from Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at any satellite registration site or at their respective Offices of the Election Officer (OEO), according to the poll body. — RSJ, GMA News