Comelec Begins Final Ballot Deployment in Metro Manila Ahead of May 12 Elections

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MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has commenced distributing 7.5 million ballots across Metro Manila, marking the final phase of nationwide ballot deployment as election day approaches on May 12.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia announced that ballots would be delivered to eight cities — Caloocan, Marikina, Pasig, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Malabon, Navotas, and San Juan — on Tuesday, May 6. The remaining cities in Metro Manila are slated to receive their ballots the following day.

As one of the country's most densely populated voting regions, Metro Manila is the last to receive ballots. Deliveries to other regions have already been completed and are securely stored in local treasurer's offices.

The secured ballots will be handed to electoral board members either on Sunday or early Monday morning, allowing teachers to head directly to their assigned precincts.

Ensuring the security of ballot transport, Comelec has enlisted the assistance of the Philippine National Police to escort each delivery truck.

"This is the number one accountable document in an election," stated Garcia, highlighting the importance of ballot security.

Preparations On Track for Election Day

With less than a week remaining before the polls, the Comelec is concentrated on monitoring and supervision as significant preparations are largely finalised.

"We're on track with all our preparations," Garcia assured. Current efforts focus on equipment delivery, final testing, and sealing of precincts nationwide, verifying ballot security, and deploying security personnel to critical areas.

The Technical Evaluation Committee's certification on April 30 confirmed that the automated election system is ready to function "properly, securely, and accurately," a crucial step for implementing automated elections.

Ongoing Testing and Sealing

Final testing and sealing of voting machines are ongoing until May 7, although extensions have been granted to some precincts requesting additional time until May 8, especially where electoral board members were initially unavailable.

"This flexibility allows final testing and sealing to continue up to election day if necessary," Garcia explained.

No incidents have been reported during the nationwide distribution of ballots and election equipment, including automated counting machines and batteries.

Special Voting Arrangements

Special arrangements ensure that vulnerable sectors will be the first to vote from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on election day. Garcia confirmed that all teachers expected to serve have indicated their availability for May 12.

Approximately 68 million voters have registered for the upcoming elections, with Comelec ensuring every measure is in place for a smooth voting process.

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from PhilStar 2025-05-06