Central Visayas records 75 pecent voter turnout in generally peaceful elections

CEBU, Philippines — The 2025 National and Local Elections in Central Visayas concluded with a strong voter turnout of 75 percent, particularly in Cebu and Bohol.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec)-7 called the poll a success, with both authorities and watchdogs describing the conduct as generally peaceful and orderly despite a few technical and logistical hiccups.

Comelec-7 Regional Director Atty. Francisco Pobe acknowledged minor setbacks during the Election Day but emphasized they were immediately addressed, including minor glitches with automated counting machines (ACMs), particularly issues with the optical scanners failing to read ballots due to dirt buildup.

Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama experienced the glitches as he had to stay longer after a paper jam and when his assistant accidentally dropped his phone inside the machine while trying to use it as a light to check what went wrong.

Another Election Board support staff had to call another DESO-technical staff to fix the issue, and Rama had to authorize one of his lawyers to represent him to insert his ballot into the machine after almost an hour of waiting. But this was later resolved.

“Naa lang tay na experience nga mga glitches but very negligible and manageable,” said Pobe.

Misdelivered ballots

The region also recorded incidents of misdelivered ballots affecting several municipalities across Central Visayas. According to the data received, 19 ballots intended for Balamban were mistakenly delivered to Bantayan Island. In a separate mix-up, 20 ballots that should have been used in Argao were instead sent to Aloguinsan.

A larger error occurred when 42 ballots meant for Cebu City’s Second District were found in Candijay, Bohol. Additionally, 102 ballots intended for Barangay Lambason were delivered instead to Tambugon, a barangay in San Remigio.

In Mandaue City, authorities discovered that 44 ballots were incomplete as it was missing the second page. Pobe also mentioned that there were 319 missing ballots in Barangay Canluma, Tabuelan.

Director Pobe assured voters that the mix-up has been resolved, with election officers in the affected areas ensuring the timely retrieval and redelivery of the ballots. He added that the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police were tapped to help facilitate the secure and swift transport of the ballots to their proper locations.

Two ACMs also malfunctioned in Barangays Subangdaku and Cabancalan in Mandaue City, but was repaired immediately. A similar issue occurred in Lapu-Lapu City due to wet ink or paper jams, but these were also promptly resolved.

In Barangay Malubog, Cebu City, the ACM malfunctioned repeatedly, and no accessible polling area was provided for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and elderly voters.

“After awhile ayu-ayuhon sa DESO-technical staff, maayo na pud. But luoy kayo ang situation kay daghang voters didto sa holding area. Sikit kayo, full house. The voters’ turn out is very very good, pero langay kayo…init kaayo ang mga rooms. Ang hagdanan, very steep walay accessible polling place,” said Gloria Cuico of C-CIMPEL/PPCRV, a non-partisan election watchdog group.

Cuico also raised concerns over disenfranchisement in Lahug Elementary School, where voter names were missing from the Posted Computerized Voters List (PCVL).

“There were many voters sa Lahug Elementary School nga naa ilang names sa computerized voters list nga naa namo sa among Voting Assistance Center pag-abot sa precinct gyud wala so meaning sa PCVL wala didto ilang name..So how can they vote if wala didto ilang name?” she said.

She emphasized that their list came directly from Comelec. “So dili kaayo katuhuan nga mawa sila sa PCVL. This is not isolated, daghan-daghan gyud siya.”

Cuico added that she reached out to an election officer who advised voters to go to Comelec for verification. “Most of them said they won’t go to Comelec anymore this being an added hassle for them while others are apprehensive if they will also be entertained.”

Comelec Cebu City Election Officer Atty. Ferdinand Gujilde clarified that precinct reshuffling may have caused the confusion.

“Maybe nasaag ra sila. Posible (change of precint number). Ana ra na siya, pananglit karong election, lima ka polling place, e-cluster ni nga grupo..Karon inig sunod na pud na election, malahi na pd tong usa ka grupo ka muawas kay nay daghang nadungag na registered voters sa first four, kaning usa masobra na siya, ebalhin na pud siyag lain pero same voting center,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Region-7 reported that 5,390 out of 5,607 registered Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) voted successfully across the region—about 31% of the total jail population.

However, 217 PDLs were unable to vote due to release from custody, disqualification, or missed cutoff times. There were also allegations from Cebu City Jail that some PDLs were made to sign pre-filled ballots in favor of Mayor Raymond Garcia. “Although there was no official complaint filed yet, they will investigate on the matter,” Pobe said.

But despite the glitches, a lot of voters have also expressed how pleased they were in this election, particularly the priority precincts for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women and its early start, from 5 AM to 7AM.

82-year-old Nonito Acosta Jr. and 62-year-old Renato Caballero, who voted at Kamputhaw Elementary School and proudly claimed they never missed an election, said this was a speedy process.

The heat though made it quite a challenge for some voters, with heat temperature at 31.8°C, and the heat index at 39°C.

Data from the City’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office’s chief, Aderson Comar shows that there were 13 patients catered in relation to heat-related illnesses during the election. The Freeman learned that the cases include voters who lost consciousness, shortness of breathe, and dizziness.

All in all, Comelec Commissioner George Garcia noted of the positive result of the election nationwide, expressing optimism that the country could see a voter turnout rate of at least 80 percent. He called it a promising sign of public engagement, attributing this interest to the new automated machines being used and the heightened political competition motivating voter participation.

Security concerns

Despite being tagged under the yellow category for potential election-related risks, the polls in Mandaue City proceeded without major problems.

MCPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Mercy Villaro said no cases were made for Comelec-related violations, such as liquor ban infractions or vote-buying incidents.

On the other hand, Comelec-7 issued a directive after reports emerged of watcher IDs bearing candidate names and ballot numbers, which may be interpreted as electioneering.

“It has come to the attention of this office that certain watcher IDs bearing the name and ballot number of a local candidate are being used inside polling precincts. Such acts are clear violations of election laws and may constitute vote-buying or partisan political activity within polling precincts,” the directive read.

Atty. Anna Fleur Gujilde, Mandaue City Election Officer, immediately informed all DESO, EBs, and PPP staff to enforce ID guidelines.

Supporters of Jonas Cortes were implicated in the issue, but Atty. Jamaal James Calipayan of the Cortes camp denied wrongdoing. “In fact, this ID format, which is now being questioned by the opposition, is also being used by other parties and candidates, such as Ako Bisaya and the Liberal Party. It merely includes the name of the candidate whom the watcher represents. There is no suggestion or call to vote for the said candidate. No law prohibits this,” he said.

As the polls closed, candidates and election officers called for unity and post-election cooperation. “Voting is a form of civic engagement and a vital exercise of their right to suffrage,” said Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon.

Former Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes emphasized that despite the heated campaign, everyone should move forward and focus on public service.

Meanwhile, Comelec noted that campaign posters and materials were seen scattered throughout public spaces despite restrictions. Comelec reminded candidates and political parties of their obligation under Resolution No. 11086 to remove campaign materials within five days after the election.

Failure to comply, the agency warned, may lead to the issuance of show-cause orders and possibly the filing of appropriate legal actions. Pobe reiterated that the agency’s focus remains on the actual conduct of the elections and that post-election compliance will be closely monitored. —  Mitchelle Palaubsanon  Kristin de Dios  Caecent Noot Magsumbol  (FREEMAN)