By ALFRED GABOT, Editor in Chief

MANILA – As the 45-day campaign winds up for 68 million voters, including one million overseas Filipinos, it’s all systems go for the May 12 senatorial, congressional and local elections despite pockets of violence and protests and over 400 disqualification and poll violation complaints, the Commission on Elections, the Department of Education and the security officers led by the Philippine National Police (PNP) assured.

Teachers and election workers, watchers and international observers were also geared up for the midterm political exercise to elect 12 senators, over 350 congressmen, including party-list representatives, and more than 10,000 governors, vice governors, city and town mayors and vice mayors and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panglunsod, and Sangguniang Bayan, the results of which will affect the 2028 presidential election. (See related stories)

In Bulacan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reminded voters of what is at stake in the May 12 elections during his penultimate campaign speech for the administration-backed Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas slate. This amid the surge in the surveys of candidates supporting former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte.

VP Duterte herself spoke at various rallies of candidates supported by PDP-Laban in Manila, Quezon City and in the Visayas and Mindanao. In Manila, leading mayoral candidate Francisco Isko Moreno Domagoso endorsed Duterte-supported candidates and some Alyansa candidates.

The PNP, with around 163,000 personnel all over the country, has been placed under full alert and is 100% ready to secure and ensure peaceful and honest elections, according to PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil, adding that “full deployment” of troops on the ground has been completed, with support of the Armed Forces in some hot areas.

Marbil made the assurance as he spearheaded the activation of the PNP Media Action Center at Camp Crame’s Command Center as a centralized hub for real-time information dissemination and media coordination throughout the election period to ensure transparency, rapid response, and public awareness.

Marbil also reminded police officers of their crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of the May 12 midterm elections.

“On May 12, Election Day, we must remain apolitical. Let us show the Filipino people that the PNP can be trusted – visible, impartial, and fully committed to ensuring a peaceful election,” Marbil said.

“As we enter the final stretch, I urge every member of the PNP to stay focused, upholding the highest standards of professionalism and integrity. We must always remember that our responsibility is to serve the people and protect their right to vote freely and fairly,” Marbil said during the command conference at Camp Crame.

Marbil encouraged the public to report any incident, including vote buying, using the PNP’s upgraded E-911 hotline.

He reminded all PNP personnel to remain apolitical, saying anyone caught engaging in partisan activities will face immediate disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the service.

The PNP also activated its National Election Monitoring Action Center (NEMAC) that will serve as the real-time monitoring of the situation across the country to ensure immediate response during and after the election day on May 12, he said.

NEMAC will also receive reports from the public through 911. Each report is forwarded to the concerned PNP unit for response.

“One hundred percent na kami, kumpleto (We are 100 percent complete). We are just showing you how prepared we are, but 100 percent na kami (already). We are prepared for the elections, kaya nga (that’s why) last time is we are helping Comelec transport yung ACM [automated counting machine] nila (their ACM),” Marbil said.

He said the PNP’s goal is zero violence during election day, adding that they have not monitored any threat.

“We have a goal that really zero violence, we want to make sure this midterm election will become honest, orderly, and peaceful. Our goal is that people can vote freely,” he added.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia, for his part, said all ballots have been delivered all over the country and the automated counting machines (ACMs) as well as Starlink connections for transmittal of results have been tested and ready for May 12.

Garcia said elections will proceed in Negros which was affected by the eruption of Kanlaon volcano and a town in Abra where a poll precinct was destroyed by fire.

Garcia, meanwhile, said complaints for various election violation have ballooned to 400 as the Comelec’s Task Force Baklas readied to file disqualification charges against 35 candidates due to illegal campaign materials.

Garcia said majority of the candidates who are likely to face charges are running for local positions.

The list also includes one senatorial candidate, he said.

“Around 30 to 35 individuals will be charged by the Task Force Baklas. If I’m not mistaken, it includes one senatorial candidate,” the poll chief said.

Garcia later said the Comelec is “very prepared” for Monday’s national and local elections, with contingency measures intact, Chairperson George Garcia said on Friday.

“The Comelec is very prepared… the important thing is that our contingency measures are intact in what the commission will do in any situation,” Garcia said in an interview after the final lockdown of data centers for the elections at the Data Center 3 in Ayala Circuit, Makati City.

He added that as of Friday, they have not recorded any untoward incident that could mar the conduct of the midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Garcia reported that the installation of Starlink satellite transmission devices is “almost 100 percent” complete, except for the slight delay in the Cordillera region due to inclement weather.

“There are last-ditch efforts like the Starlinks. Only a few pieces need to be placed in places like Mountain Province and Ifugao, because it rained heavily there yesterday. So, the installation of Starlinks was not completed. Our Starlinks have been installed almost 100 percent,” he said.

With three days before the elections, Garcia reminded senior citizens, persons with disability, and pregnant women that they can vote as early as 5 a.m. when the polling centers open exclusively for the vulnerable sectors.

“They are allowed to bring someone, to assist them, and we will let the person with them vote. Only one person can accompany the senior citizen, the disabled, and the pregnant woman,” Garcia said.

Regular voters, on the other hand, can vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Garcia reminded the public that drinking, buying, and selling alcoholic drinks are prohibited on the eve of the elections and Election Day.

More than 68 million registered voters are expected to troop to polling places on Monday to cast their votes.

Malacanang also assured safeguards and protection of the election.  “Our teachers and Education personnel and the entire government force will be there to safeguard, support, and protect our elections,” said Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) declared it is on full alert, deploying more than 160,000 officers nationwide to ensure a peaceful and orderly election process and its aftermath.

PNP Director for Police Community Relations Maj. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba said the PNP “is all hands on deck” and ready to respond to any eventualities before, on and after the May 12 elections.

Alba said that aside from the more than 160,000 deployed on election day, “a “sizable number” of reserve forces in every PNP headquarters are on call and ready to augment the number if necessary.

Aside from securing peace and order in polling areas, the PNP-Anti Cybercrime Group also joins patrols on election day to keep watch against possible spying activities.

Around 370 areas of concern have been identified, down from the more than 800 listed in the polls.

As of May 8, the PNP has apprehended some 2,863 gun ban violators, 195 of whom were arrested at checkpoints.

In addition, the Philippine Army is prepared to augment the security forces on the ground with its contingency force, composed of the Civil Disturbance Management, K-9, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Medical, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear teams.

A total of 31 assets such as military trucks and ambulances are placed on standby while the Philippine Army emergency response companies are under blue alert from May 11 to May 14.

Various Philippine Army major units have deployed 23, 591 personnel to perform election duties across the country while another 21,509 personnel are on standby alert.

Army units for the 2025 polls are operating under dual modes — election mode and combat mode — to ensure they perform electoral duties while sustaining internal security operations.

“We are committed to maintaining national stability by continuing our operations against threat groups while also assisting with the transport of poll materials and ensuring the safety of election personnel,” Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said in a statement.