By CESAR JOLITO III
The Commission on Elections in the Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) has dismissed circulating online claims that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) set for November this year will no longer push through, calling the information inaccurate and misleading.
Comelec-NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano clarified that the Facebook post claiming the BSKE will be cancelled or postponed is “fake news” and does not reflect any official directive from the election body or the national government.
“There is no basis for claims that the BSKE will not proceed,” Castillano said in effect, noting that any announcement suggesting otherwise misrepresents official policy.
Castillano emphasized that the current legal basis for the upcoming elections remains unchanged.
He explained that the previously postponed BSKE was already moved, in accordance with Republic Act No. 12232, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. on August 13, 2025.
He stressed that there has been no new legislation or order from Congress or Malacañang that would further postpone or cancel the scheduled elections.
The spread of social media posts alleging that the elections would not be held this year quickly gained attention online and prompted concern among voters and local communities.
The Comelec national office has also issued a public clarification yesterday, warning against misleading statements circulating on social media regarding the conduct of the BSKE.
The national poll body further clarified that posts labelling the information as “breaking news” are false and may cause unnecessary confusion among voters.
Comelec also reminded the public that the spread of false or misleading election-related information intended to create confusion may be considered an election offense under Section 261 (z) (11) of the Omnibus Election Code.
Authorities are urging the public to rely only on official announcements from Comelec and verified government channels to avoid misinformation as the election period approaches.
Vote-rich
Comelec-NIR said Negros Occidental remains one of the country’s largest voting provinces, with the number of registered voters nearing the two-million mark ahead of BSKE on November 2.
Updated figures validated during the Election Registration Board hearing showed the province currently has 1,994,337 registered voters.
Despite the slight decrease, election officials said the reduction was due mainly to routine cleansing of voter records, including the removal of deceased voters, deactivated registrations, and transfers to other provinces.
“Some voters may have left or passed away, but many others have come in or reached voting age,” Castillano said, noting that the influx of new registrants is enough to sustain Negros Occidental’s status as one of the country’s most influential voting provinces.
From October 2025 until the late voter registration day last May 18, Negros Occidental logged 164,375 new voter applicants, the highest number of new registrants across the NIR.
Castillano said Negros Occidental continues to maintain one of the highest voter populations in the country, reinforcing its role as a major political battleground in both local and national elections./CCJ, WDJ