Despite recent election-related violence and a fire that damaged polling stations, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Bangued, Abra has confirmed that the 12 May 2025 elections will proceed as scheduled.
Bangued Election Officer Atty. Reyman Solbita said in a media interview that all 49 Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) assigned to the town's 49 precincts successfully underwent Final Testing and Sealing (FTS). Only one precinct encountered a minor issue, which was resolved quickly by technical staff, he added. The FTS process was completed by 5:00 PM on 7 May.
Regarding the fire that damaged three buildings at Dangdangla Elementary School in Barangay Dangdangla early Wednesday morning, Solbita said the ACM for that location was tested at the COMELEC Bangued office, in the presence of candidate representatives and watchers. The machine will be escorted by Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel back to the school for election day use.
Solbita noted that two buildings in the school were unaffected by the fire and are expected to be used for voting, pending clearance from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). Power restoration is also underway to ensure safe operations.
He assured that over 900 registered voters in Barangay Dangdangla will be able to cast their votes on Monday.
To bolster security, Solbita said the PNP and AFP have doubled their personnel deployment and heightened visibility in Bangued and surrounding areas to ensure peaceful and orderly elections.