The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received approximately 200,000 applications for poll registration since the nationwide enlistment began on Friday.
In an interview on Monday, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia reported that around 200,000 individuals have submitted applications to participate in the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for later this year. “I think, nationwide, we’ve reached 200,000 more or less. Reports coming from the field, the full report will be sent to us later. To us, whether we reach 1 million or not, it doesn’t matter,” he stated.
Garcia noted that during the previous registration period from February 12 to September 30, only 2.2 million registered, emphasizing the importance of giving everyone a chance to register. “What is important is that our countrymen are able to register,” he added.
Despite a bill to postpone the elections to November 2026 being set to be signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. next week, Garcia affirmed that preparations for the December 1 village and youth polls will continue. “We should continue preparing. Because if the election is postponed on Aug. 12, are we going to stop preparing? In my opinion, we should not,” he said.
Garcia also mentioned that they are prepared to address any legal challenges regarding the postponement of the BSKE. “We are already expecting someone to go to the SC (Supreme Court) to question the legality of a law that will be signed. On the part of the Comelec, we have no side (on the issue). We are not pro or against,” he explained.
On Monday, Garcia was present at the Manila City Hall for the registration of 621 persons deprived of liberty in preparation for the BSKE.