THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) acknowledged a communication lapse with local election watchdogs regarding the implementation of local absentee voting in Davao City.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia admitted the oversight after the Archdiocesan Social Action Center (ASAC), the Archdiocesan Commission on Election Monitoring (ACE-COM), and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) raised concerns about not being informed about the absentee voting process.
"Hindi na dapat mangyari ang bagay na yan. We must always inform the public ano ang mangyayari kailan darating ang gamit, saan i-distribute ang gamit etc. etc. we must always inform them (That shouldn’t have happened. We must always inform the public—when the materials will arrive, where they will be distributed, and what to expect)," Garcia said in a media interview on Tuesday morning, April 29, at the Davao City Convention Center.
Garcia said that transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness are core principles of Comelec. He noted that the central office is consistently accompanied by the PPCRV in election-related activities, with no instances where they were excluded.
He also urged the public to exercise their right to vote and assured that the elections would remain peaceful. Garcia encouraged citizens to participate to help increase voter turnout.
Earlier, ASAC, ACE-COM, and PPCRV expressed disappointment over the lack of transparency in the conduct of local absentee voting from April 28 to 30. The group said they were not informed that certain sectors were allowed to vote early, without prior notice or explanation.
"We call on Comelec-Davao to uphold transparency in all aspects of the electoral process. As an accredited election watchdog, ACE-COM PPCRV has an unequivocal right to be fully informed about all activities, agencies, and requests related to the May 12, 2025 elections. This includes any government offices or agencies seeking to participate in absentee voting, so that we may observe and verify the process firsthand," the group said in a statement.
They claimed they were “left in the dark” about absentee voting until they made personal inquiries. The lack of transparency, they said, undermines public trust and compromises electoral integrity. They stressed the importance of coordination in maintaining credibility and vowed not to be sidelined.
Meanwhile, about 200 personnel from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) voted on the second day of local absentee voting. Teachers from the Department of Education – Davao City Division, who will serve on the electoral board, and members of Task Force Davao also cast their votes at their headquarters in Sta. Ana Wharf, Leon Garcia.
Local absentee voting is open to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), and media personnel who are expected to be on duty on election day. They may vote from April 28 to April 30, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at designated polling precincts. RGP