Comelec Chair Urges Voters to Choose Wisely

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – As the May 12, 2025, election day approaches, Commission on Elections Chairman Erwin Garcia reminded voters to choose their candidates wisely.

Garcia was in Bacolod for the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Commission on Elections and the Office of Civil Defense to boost disaster risk reduction and management efforts during elections.

The event was held Thursday, May 1, 2025, at the Social Hall of the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol.

The agreement aims to strengthen interagency coordination and preparedness to ensure safe, secure and disaster-resilient elections in the province.

“Voting is a right, but it is also an obligation of each one of us,” Garcia said during the press conference that followed the ceremony.

He added it is not enough to simply vote on May 12, stressing the need to choose the right leaders and candidates for every position.

Garcia said voters should not rely solely on what they see in newspapers, hear on the radio, watch on television or read on social media.

He urged the public to look into the background of each candidate.

“We’ve been making mistakes for a long time—that has been our belief,” he said.

“But maybe this is the right time to correct those past mistakes.”

He said voters can “win” by making informed choices through the ballot.

Meanwhile, Garcia said the restiveness of Kanlaon Volcano will not delay the May 12 polls in affected areas.

“There is no reason to postpone the elections on May 12,” he said.

While in the province, Garcia inspected evacuation centers in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.

He said the Comelec has already identified alternative polling centers where affected registered voters can cast their votes, even if the volcano remains under Alert Level 3 or 4.

In Negros Occidental, under Alert Level 3, a total of 6,871 voters in Murcia, 4,279 in La Carlota City, 2,349 in La Castellana, 2,102 in Bago City and 1,390 in Pontevedra will be affected.

In Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, 7,371 voters will be affected.

Under Alert Level 4, affected voters in La Castellana will rise to 31,723; Murcia, 15,686; La Carlota City, 14,098; Bago City, 11,127; and Pontevedra, 3,137.

In Canlaon City, 14,506 voters will be affected under Alert Level 4.

Garcia said if elections are postponed due to a calamity, they must be held no later than 30 days from the date of the event, as stated in Section 6 of the Omnibus Election Code.

Since June last year, Kanlaon Volcano has erupted three times, with the latest minor explosion occurring on April 9 this year.