By ALFRED GABOT and CLAIRE MORALES TRUE

Editor in Chief and Managing Editor

MANILA/CAMP CRAME, Quezon City – As poll-related violence is expected to rise following the death of 13 persons and injuries to about 20, some of them candidates, since the campaign started, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the country’s law enforcers led by the Philippine National Police declared they are in full alert and all in readiness for a peaceful and orderly May 12 elections.

The latest election fatalities were was a party-list chairman who was gunned down in Manila and a Cagayan mayor who was running for vice mayor. This as Comelec said election violence are in a new low this year.

Some 68 million voters will elect 12 senators, over 300 congressmen, several party-list representatives and hundreds of local officials from 82 governors to 149 city mayors and vice mayors and 1,493 municipal mayors and vice mayors and 13,000 members of their local legislative councils or a total of 18,320 positions. (See related stories)

With the May 12 national and local elections just days, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) led by Chairman George Garcia assured it is fully prepared to oversee a smooth and orderly voting process. Garcia renewed the assurance in an interview in La Carlota City in Negros.

The Comelec First Division, meanwhile approved the disqualification of congressional candidate Matt Erwin Florido from the May 12, 2025 elections (NLE) due to vote buying.

Florido, who seeks to represent the third district of Quezon in the House of Representatives, was accused of giving free transportation, meals, drinks, T-shirts, and P1,000 to the attendees of a gathering on April 6.

“There is substantial evidence that Respondent committed vote-buying during the 06 April 2025 event,” the Comelec division said in its 11-page decision released on Wednesday.

The division also dismissed Florido’s claim that the event was internal and exclusive to his campaign staff, and that the petitioners were actually his volunteers.

“We find indications to the contrary – both to the claim of exclusivity of the event and Petitioners’ affiliation,” the division said.

The Comelec earlier disclosed that some 200 candidates all over the c ountry are facing disqualification cases due to alleged vote buying and other election law violations.

Among those summoned by Comelec for alleged violations are Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and mayoraly aspirants Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso and Rep. Sam Versoza. (See related stories).

Comelec Chairperson Garcia said they are expecting the number of disqualification cases to increase as election day approaches.

“There will be more (disqualification cases) as the election approaches, there will be more violations of the rules. Expect not only double but triple or quadruple the number of disqualifications that will be filed before us,” he said.

With just days before the May 12 elections, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Philippine National Police (PNP) have intensified their coordinated efforts to ensure a secure and credible electoral process.

 The three agencies formalized their partnership by signing a memorandum of agreement at the Comelec headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.

Comelec Chairman  Garcia spearheaded the ceremonial signing alongside PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil and AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Jimmy Larida, who represented AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.

“As stipulated in this agreement, (we are) committed to ensuring that the 2025 national and local elections are conducted in a free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible manner in adherence to the Constitution,” said Larida.

 Col. Xerxes Trinidad, AFP public affairs office chief, said the agreement reflects the military’s non-partisan approach and readiness to execute election-related responsibilities with professionalism and neutrality.

“Together, they outlined the government’s comprehensive security measures to safeguard the electoral process and ensure the integrity of the elections,” he said.

The PNP said there are 362 areas of concern for the 2025 midterm polls compared to over 844 in 2022 and over 941 in 2019, according to PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief Col. Randulf Tuaño

Over 120,000 personnel will be deployed by the PNP on election day, May 12.

“We will be deploying [a] substantial number of PNP personnel during election day. We have [a] considerable number, more than 120,000 personnel who will secure 37,528 voting centers across the country,” he said.

Of the 362 areas of concern being monitored now, 34 of them were in the “red” category, or the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) classification for areas with serious armed threats and a history of election-related incidents, said PNP Director for Police Community Relations Maj. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba.

Based on data from January 12 to April 28, the highest number of incidents were recorded in the Cordillera and Bangsamoro regions, with 11 and 8 incidents, respectively. Calabarzon followed with five incidents, while Zamboanga Peninsula had three. Two incidents each were reported in the Western Visayas and Davao regions, while one incident each occurred in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Soccsksargen.

The towns of Datu Sinsuat and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur were placed under the control of the Comelec due to rising violence.Garcia urged candidates and their supporters to cooperate in ensuring peaceful elections. 

“Doon sa mga politiko, sa mga kandidato, doon sa mga supporters nila o mga tauhan nila, tatandaan niyo na ‘yong long arm of the law will be there. Hindi naman po papayag ang Comelec, ang PNP, ang AFP na basta na lang niyo guguluhin ang ating katahimikan at pagkatapos walang karampatang kaparusahan,” Garcia said.