Comelec eyes 15 September proclamation of BARMM winners

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday vowed to ensure that winners of the 14 September Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections are known by election night, with proclamations possible the following day.

“We will make sure that all voting precincts will be able to transmit and we will also ensure that all the winners will be known on the night of the elections on Sept. 14,” Garcia said during a visit to Cotabato City with Comelec commissioners.

“The proclamations can be done the following day, on Sept. 15,” he added.

Garcia said he instructed election officers assigned to 105 municipalities and two cities in BARMM to ensure there would be no failure of elections in any precinct.

“All 5,212 precincts in BARMM should work, all voters should be able to vote, the electoral board members should be able to report, and all equipment should remain intact, functioning and not missing,” he said.

Garcia also urged voters to participate in the historic parliamentary elections.

“You know all of the sacrifices, hard work, spending and efforts are for nothing if the people will not vote,” he said.

“Let us show how important it is to vote in the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.”

Garcia said Comelec was not considering placing any area in BARMM under its control as of Wednesday.

“This only means one thing: The entire Bangsamoro is quiet and peaceful,” he said.

“We are in full control of the situation in the Bangsamoro.”

BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua survived an ambush on 15 August, but Garcia said the incident was not a reason to disrupt the scheduled elections.