Comelec urges public to report anomalies in BARMM polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday urged the public to report any anomalies that may hamper the peaceful and organized conduct of the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Comelec chairperson George Garcia said their devices are important for documenting incidents and reporting it to the poll body and other authorities.

“’Yan ang role nating lahat. Kailangan makapag-report tayo, kailangan handa ang mga camera (para sa) 'yung mga pangyayari at maiparating sa kinauukulan,” Garcia told Super Radyo dzBB.

(That’s all our role. We need to report. Our cameras should be ready for any eventualities and relay it to the proper authorities.)

He added that once Comelec receives election-related reports, it will launch an investigation and issue a show cause order to the reported individuals.

The region’s first parliamentary elections will be on Monday, September 14.

Garcia said Comelec has a threat monitoring center that coordinates with the Department of Information and Communication Technology and social media platforms to take down fake and misleading posts online.

“Ang isang problema natin ay wala tayong batas na nagre-regulate sa social media,” Garcia said.

(One of our problems is that we do not have a law regulating social media.)

“Sana during the campaign period ay mabigyan ng kapangyarihan si Comelec para mabigyan natin ng tamang regulasyon para sa ikabubuti ng ating halalan,” he added.

(I hope that during the campaign period, Comelec will be granted the authority to implement proper regulations for the betterment of our elections.)

NAMFREL

Meanwhile, Eric Alvia, National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) secretary general, warned that fake news may affect the voter turnout in the Bangsamoro elections.

“Meron pang nakikitang panganib sa social media at sa mismong media nila. Binabantayan din ang mga balita nila na walang katotohanan,” Alvia said in a separate dzBB interview on Sunday.

(We are monitoring threats in social media, particularly fake news.)

“Ang panganib dito ay baka maapektuhan 'yung [voter] turnout or matakot [ang mga botante na bumoto],” he added.

(This could affect the voter turnout or discourage voters from casting their ballots.)

Alvia pointed out that the public must be vigilant, as artificial-intelligence accounts spread uniform fake news online.

Monitoring the elections does not end when the results are out, as the public’s acceptance of the results must also be monitored, according to Alvia.

“Itong halalan na ito ay hindi tumitigil lang sa Lunes. Dapat bantayan din natin 'yung pagtanggap ng mga botante at ng publiko sa resulta ng halalan,” he said.

(This election does not end on Monday. We should also monitor how voters will accept the election results.)

In a social media post, Comelec warned the public against a Facebook page that claimed that the real purpose of the BARMM elections is to destroy the unity of Muslim communities.

The Bangsamoro parliamentary elections is part of the region’s peace process, with voters choosing representatives to fill the 80 seats in the Bangsamoro parliament government.

It marks a major step in the transition from an interim government through the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to an elected regional administration.

READ: BARMM 2026 Elections: History, key dates, candidates, and everything you need to know

—KG, GMA News