COMELEC 95% Ready for BARMM's First Parliamentary Elections

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 5 August 2026) — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) revealed that it is “95% ready” for the conduct of the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections on September 14, and will transmit the ballots to its “hubs” by last week of August until the first week of September. COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin M. Garcia, in a press conference on Tuesday at Aria Hotel and Residences here, said they have “pre-determined” the hubs, which have security forces and personnel of the Bangsamoro Electoral Office deployed to protect the paraphernalia. Ballot boxes, batteries, and other election paraphernalia have already been deployed to these hubs, he added. All “critical” preparations will be finished by the end of August, he said. Among these, Garcia said, include the two-week training for 20,000 to 21,000 teachers, principals, and their support staff who will perform election duties. Their training starts next week as the trainers have already arrived in Cotabato City on Monday, he added. He said a total of 3,000 police personnel from Regions 9, 11, and 12 are to be certified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the operation of vote-counting machines in cases when teachers cannot perform their duties as members of the board of election inspectors. Despite the readiness of COMELEC, Garcia said that the “biggest challenge” is misinformation. He said that the idea that the polls will not be pushed through shows there is misinformation. “While the election is getting nearer, there will be more [misinformation],” Garcia added. Gerardo Concepcion III, legislative secretary of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Committee Support Services, told reporters that the issue of misinformation is “not really on the process” of the elections, but on the facts presented, especially in the age of social media. “Kukunin lang ang isang picture ng personality… tapos lalagyan ng quotes, tapos ma misrepresent na galing sa kanya,” he said. Concepcion advised the public to get information only from official sources. “It’s important to rely on legitimate sources,” he added. Concepcion was among 170 members of the BTA’s speakers bureau gathered for the “Training of Trainers on Bangsamoro Electoral Code” in preparation for the elections. The three-day training convened lawyers, chiefs-of-staff, legislative personnel, and employees from the offices of Members of Parliament. In his speech during the training, Bangsamoro Parliament Speaker Mohammad S. Yacob told trainers that it is their role to “help foster greater public understanding, strengthen confidence in our democratic institutions, and encourage informed participation in this historic electoral exercise.” “An informed electorate remains the cornerstone of a vibrant democracy and an indispensable pillar of credible, peaceful, and inclusive elections,” he said. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews) MindaNews is the news service arm of the Mindanao Institute of Journalism. It is composed of independent, professional journalists who believe and practice people empowerment through media. PAGES Top StoriesNewsBusinessMindaViewsArts & CulturePhoto of the DayPeace ProcessFact CheckMedia ImpactBooks LOCATION