Comelec Says Vote-Buying, Not Technology, Is Its Top Threat Ahead of BARMM Parliamentary Polls

On Tuesday, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia told reporters that the commission's main worry in the Bangsamoro region is no longer its machines. The poll body says the voting system and technology for the Sept. 14, 2026 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are fully prepared. The effort now goes into keeping the vote clean and peaceful.

Garcia's argument was that a flawless count does not make an election credible. Even if the machines work, ballots are read accurately and results are transmitted without a hitch, he said, the outcome cannot be trusted if voters are kept from choosing freely. He named vote-buying as a top priority, calling it a long-persistent problem in the region. Comelec wants to cut it sharply, if not eliminate it, so that results reflect what voters actually want. In his words, legitimate voters must be the ones making the electoral choices.

Security planning is already under way. Comelec recently held a command conference in Zamboanga City with the Western Mindanao Command and representatives from across the region. Garcia said the aim goes beyond keeping the peace to protecting election equipment, election personnel and the conduct of the polls. The commission is coordinating with the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard, and all three are expected to send additional personnel to BARMM. Garcia would not give the number of reinforcements, citing operational and security reasons, but said enough personnel will be available.

He also sent a warning to any groups that might try to intimidate members of the Electoral Boards. Replacement personnel from the PNP are ready to step in if needed, he said, and election operations will go on despite threats. To teachers and other election workers, he promised they will not be abandoned and that protective measures are in place for the whole process.

The calendar is tightening. Garcia said preparations are entering a crucial phase. Once Comelec completes voting simulations and election-related adjustments in Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao del Norte, printing of ballots for roughly 2.3 million registered voters is scheduled to start in the first week of July.

Several changes respond to problems raised during the 2025 elections. Comelec has raised the ballot shading threshold from 15 percent to 25 percent, and will use oil-based marking pens instead of water-based ones. Garcia said the adjustments are meant to make ballots easier to read and to strengthen voter confidence in the automated system. He framed them as part of a continuing effort that extends to the 2028 polls.

On money, Garcia said the budget remains sufficient, helped by support from the BARMM government that eases operational costs. Teachers, principals and support staff working the elections will receive an additional P3,000 in honoraria. That is the nationwide P2,000 increase plus another P1,000 approved specifically for BARMM election workers.

Comelec also describes the parliamentary vote as a test run for the 2028 national and local elections, with lessons expected to shape later reforms. The next markers to watch are the simulations in Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao del Norte and the start of ballot printing in early July.