• 2 days ago
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Transcript
00:00Let's update on the start of the COC filing in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Musliminlinao for the first parliamentary elections.
00:08We will talk to Cominec Chairman George Erwin Garcia. Good morning and welcome to Balitang Hali.
00:14Good morning sir Rafi and good morning to our countrymen.
00:18How is the COC filing in Barm?
00:21It's quiet and pleasant because in the whole province, in Bangsamoro, from Tawitawi, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao South and North,
00:32there are people who have already filed their certificates of candidacy.
00:36In fact, we have already witnessed the filing of a regional political party of their certificates of nomination and acceptance.
00:45This means that they already know the start of our election season here in Bangsamoro in filing their certificates of candidacy.
00:56Do you have a projection on the number of people who will file their candidacy?
01:00You know sir Rafi, it's not that easy here in Bangsamoro because the elections will be held in the so-called parliamentary district.
01:12Then we have more or less 7 to 10 regional political parties that will file their certificates of nomination and acceptance.
01:21But you know, sometimes in a district, there are a lot of people who file their candidacy.
01:26That's why sometimes there are up to 10 candidates, even though there is only one position to be filed.
01:31What is the latest news of Cominec regarding the Barm election before the COC is filed?
01:39Of course sir Rafi, this is in line with the national and local elections.
01:42You're right sir Rafi that Cominec is only in one position.
01:46What we are waiting for is for the whole of Bangsamoro not to know that they will have their first ever Bangsamoro parliamentary election.
01:55That's why Cominec needs to wait until December and January for our voters' education and information.
02:02They will be allowed to vote for two candidates, sir Rafi, in May 12 because they will be elected in the national and local positions
02:11and separate candidates for the Bangsamoro position.
02:14At the same time, we are always concerned about the peace and order situation in Bangsamoro.
02:20But we believe that with the help of the ANP and PNP, we can ensure that the situation in Bangsamoro will be fine.
02:28What is your reaction to what Senate President Chief Escudero said?
02:32That they will discuss with the Senate how to separate the parliamentary elections in the Barm?
02:37Sir Rafi, of course, that is a political decision.
02:40We will see. We are only enforcers of the laws that are currently in force regarding the elections.
02:47And because there should be elections in May 12 in Bangsamoro and in May 12 in the national and local positions,
02:55that is our preparation.
02:57And no matter what will happen in the next few days, we will be alert.
03:01But Cominec cannot rely on the news that we need to continue our preparations,
03:08unless there is a change in our current laws.
03:12What will be the effect if the elections in the Barm are postponed?
03:17Sir Rafi, this will have an effect on those who will settle on issues like how many should be elected in Bangsamoro,
03:2573 or 80, because it is stated in the law that it should be 80.
03:29Number two, of course, there are places that are not yet a province.
03:34Until now, the eight municipalities, the so-called special geographical area,
03:38it used to be 63 barangays. Until now, they don't have a province.
03:42So those are the implications of the postponement.
03:46At the same time, our countrymen are hoping that there will be elections in Bangsamoro in the coming year.
03:53Are you seeing an effect on the non-joining of Sulu or the exclusion of Sulu in the Barm elections because they did not vote in the Barm law?
04:03Yes sir Rafi. That is a legal issue. There is a motion for reconsideration in the Supreme Court regarding that.
04:10Number two, of course, how many will be elected, 73 or 80, because it is stated in the law that it should be 80.
04:17The removal of Sir Rafi from Sulu, they have seven representatives in the Parliament.
04:22Therefore, there might be a legal issue.
04:26We are wondering why only 73, while it is stated in the law that it should be 80.
04:30So those are the things that need to be considered at the moment.
04:34The omelette will proceed with the election, even if there are 73 or 80 members because our mandate is to have an election in Bangsamoro.
04:45But is it better to settle the issue of Sulu first before having an election?
04:49It's hard to answer that Rafi because it's a political issue.
04:54But as a lawyer, I should have settled that issue before having an election.
05:01So that we won't question the result of the election after 2025, May.
05:08Because some people, especially us, won't be content to question.
05:12The omelette was made wrong. It should be 80.
05:15It should include this. The seven members of Sulu should be distributed in our municipality or province of Bangsamoro.
05:22Those are the legal issues that I think need to be settled before having an election in May.
05:27That's right. It's possible to have a chain reaction if it's not settled.
05:30Let's go to the national elections. How is the preparation of the omelette?
05:35We are about to have the complete machine that we will use in the 2025 elections.
05:41Our hardware acceptance tests are ongoing.
05:45We are finalizing the list of voters.
05:48We know that we have 68,500,000 voters in the Philippines.
05:54We are also discovering, Sir Rafi, that more or less, there are less than a million double or multiple registrants that need to be removed from the list of voters.
06:05We are also finalizing the precincts where our countrymen will vote and the venues where our elections will be held.
06:14Later on, we will have a rollout of all the machines that we will use in the Philippines
06:20so that our countrymen will be able to learn how to use the machines in the upcoming elections.
06:27Okay. Thank you very much for your time in Balitang Hali.
06:31Thank you very much, Sir Rafi Mabuhay.
06:33This has been Comileg Chairman George Erwin Garcia.
06:44www.comileg.org

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