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Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia —INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
Comelec: 'Fully prepared' for September 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections
- Jun 3, 2026
- Taher G. Solaiman
- HITS: 325
COTABATO CITY -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday declared it is fully ready for the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), set on September 14.
Comelec Chair George Garcia made the declaration in a chance interview with reporters, saying preparations are already well underway, including the hardware acceptance testing of automated counting machines (ACMs) to be deployed during the polls.
"We want to check whether every part of the machine is functioning properly before we officially accept it," Garcia said.
Following acceptance, the ACMs will undergo simulation exercises and a pre-logic and accuracy test before being certified by the technical evaluation committee.
Stricter Gun Ban Enforcement
Garcia also announced that the gun ban covering the election period will be enforced more strictly in BARMM, warning residents that even licensed firearms will be suspended during the polls.
"We will enforce the gun ban there even more strictly. We want to maintain the same orderly conduct that we saw during the filing of certificates of candidacy," he said.
He added that checkpoints will be jointly manned by personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and other government agencies.
Garcia, however, assured the public that inspections will be conducted strictly under the "plain view doctrine" — meaning authorities will not compel individuals to open containers or compartments, nor require passengers to disembark from vehicles.
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