Members of the media cast their votes during the scheduled Local Absentee Voting at the Comelec-NCR office in Barangay Greenhills, San Juan, on April 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday opened the Local Absentee Voting (LAV) for voters from government agencies, including the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and members of the media who could not vote on the scheduled election day.

Comelec extends application for local absentee voting

According to Comelec chairman George Garcia, for the 2025 midterm polls, there are 57,682 registered local absentee voters nationwide and most of the participants are from the AFP.

“Ang pinapayagang makaboto yung mga nasa pamahalaan, mga miyembro ng AFP, PNP, mga taga-Comelec at iba pang ahensiya na sa araw ng eleksyon ay maglilingkod ng kanilang tungkulin kung kaya kinakailangang pabotohin sila ng mas maaga," Garcia explained.

"Ang pinakamadaming contingent, sa Philippine Army, dito po sa amin sa Comelec ay 922 ang makakaboto na mga kawani at opisyal namin. National positions lamang po,” Garcia told the media.

Garcia explained that ballots for LAV will be simultaneously opened and fed to the election machines on May 12 at the Comelec central office.

“Sabay-sabay po itong ipi-feed sa mga makina, dito po gagawin sa main office ng Comelec. Nangangahulugan na yung iba-ibang ballot box sa iba-ibang ahensiya ng pamahalaan ay dadalhin lahat dito sa main office ng Comelec upang dito sabay-sabay na bilangin,” Garcia added.

LAV will run for three days or from April 28 to 30, 2025 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

"Hindi naman po n’yo kinakailangan na magdala pa ng kahit anong identification sapagkat... nandiyan na sa kanila yung listahan ng lahat ng na-approve ng Local Absentee Committee upang kayo ay kaagad na makaboto,” Garcia explained.

Meanwhile, PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil personally led the voting at Camp Crame. Of the 33,000 PNP personnel nationwide who expressed their intention to participate in the LAV, about 1,471 police officers and personnel based at Camp Crame registered to exercise their right to vote, even while they are busy preparing for deployment to election duties across different parts of the country.

"It will give us more time kasi talagang gusto natin yung  100 percent yung mga pulis natin," said Marbil. "Marami pa officers sa aming who will be voting... 'Di lang sila sumabay sa atin."

Garcia also issued a reminder that taking pictures of the ballots or taking selfies inside the polling precincts is strictly prohibited to maintain the secrecy of the ballots.

Garcia believes LAV will be crucial to the election result especially for the senatorial candidates in the 12th and 13th slots. 

“May nangyari na dati, that was sometime in 2007 or 2010 na kung saan 10,000 lang ang lamang ng 12 sa 13 sa senatorial candidates. Therefore, ganun ka-critical ang 57,000. This can deliver a vote in favor of somebody or against somebody para lamang doon sa 12th slot hanggang sa 13th slot ng Senado," he said.

"Lalo na rin sa party-list. Sa party-list, bawat boto will definitely count dahil kailangan ma-attain yung tinatawag na 2 percent threshold ng total number of votes cast for the party-list,” Garcia added.

During the last election, Garcia said the voters turnout for LAV was 88 percent.

According to Garcia, LAV results will also undergo Random Manual Audit (RMA).

PNP chief Marbil, meanwhile, assured the public of the police's readiness to secure the upcoming elections, emphasizing that personnel, mobility assets, and logistical resources are already prepared.

However, he reminded everyone to stay vigilant and professional in the face of threats that could harm the credibility and safety of the elections. -- with a report from Dennis Datu, ABS-CBN News

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