Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

First-time voters line up to register for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections at Pinaglabanan Elementary School in San Juan City on Friday, August 1, 2025. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) holds its ongoing nationwide registration drive to accommodate new registrants and those updating their records ahead of the upcoming grassroots polls. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Johnson Manabat

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday said the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are expected to push through as scheduled, barring any legal impediments.Speaking during a Kapihan forum, Garcia said preparations are underway for the September 14 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary polls and the November 2 BSKE.Garcia explained that the BARMM parliamentary elections will be fully automated using the same machines deployed during the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections, while the BSKE will continue to be conducted manually. “Tuloy na tuloy po ang Bangsamoro - sa kasalukuyan po, ang mga pangalan - pinost na po namin sa website ng Comelec. At the same time, ngayong linggo ilalabas na namin sa website namin ang certificates of candidacies ng lahat ng mga kandidato sa Bangsamoro bilang pagtalima sa principle of transparency,” said Garcia.“Automated election po ang Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections- hindi po ito manual. Hindi katulad ng Barangay and SK na manual. Ito po ay automation. Sinabi ng batas, gagamitin ni Comelec ang lahat ng makina, equipment, devices na ginamit noong nakaraang May 12, 2025 elections,” Garcia added.Garcia said Comelec has allocated around P3 billion for the conduct of the BARMM polls, with an additional standby fund worth P500 million from the BARMM government.<div> </div><div>VOTER PARTICIPATION</div>The poll chief also underscored the importance of voter participation, saying the turnout during the recent voter registration period exceeded the Commission’s expectations.<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/comelec-defends-early-cut-offs-amid-voter-registration-surge-1714">Comelec defends early cut-offs amid voter registration surge</a></div>According to Garcia, around 4 million people went to voter registration sites from August 1 to 9 in preparation for the supposed December 2025 BSKE, which was eventually postponed. Despite this, Garcia begged for understanding to those who were not able to register during the time schedule given by the Commission.“Ako po ay humihingi ng dispensa doon sa mga hindi nakaabot at hindi napagbigyan ng Comelec na na-cut off pa sa ibang lugar lalo na dito sa NCR,” he said.“Sana sa susunod, ang ating pakiusap, huwag namang sasadyain natin na isagad natin hanggang sa huling araw o ‘yung deadline. Alam n’yo ang nagiging panuntunan ni Comelec ngayon, wala po tayong ginagawang mga extension…hindi po maganda na lagi na lang inaasahan ng mga kababayan natin na may extension tayo,” he added. Garcia said the next voter registration period, if the BSKE pushes through as scheduled, will run from February to September 2027 in preparation for the next barangay elections and the 2028 presidential elections.“Uulitin ko, napaka-importante ng pagpaparehistro sapagkat ‘yan ang unang hakbang sa pagboto. Sa inyong mga botante, lagi niyong tatandaan…nasa atin, nasa inyo ang boto so, hawak n’yo ang vote, ” Garcia said.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday said the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are expected to push through as scheduled, barring any legal impediments.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday said the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are expected to push through as scheduled, barring any legal impediments.

‘Hawak niyo ang boto’: Comelec chief says BARMM polls, BSKE to push through as scheduled

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‘Hawak niyo ang boto’: Comelec chief says BARMM polls, BSKE to push through as scheduled

Johnson Manabat,

ABS-CBN News,

Published May 20, 2026 03:47 PM PHT

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Updated May 20, 2026 04:32 PM PHT

Read More:

Chairman George Garcia

Comelec

voter registration

BSKE

Bangsamoro

BARMM Parliamentary Polls

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