AS COMELEC GEARS UP FOR POLLS: Voter’s Info Sheet delivery, advance voting set in Naga

By Jason B. Neola

THE Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Naga City is set to conduct advance voting and begin the distribution of Voter’s Information Sheets (VIS) as part of its preparations for the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections.

Local absentee voting, which allows members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assigned to election duties to vote ahead of the polls, will take place on April 28, 29, and 30 at Sta. Cruz Elementary School. The advance voting covers senatorial and party-list candidates only.

Election Officer Atty. Maico Julia, Jr. said another round of briefings will be held on April 29 for Department of Education supervisors along with teachers who will oversee special polling precincts at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), where Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) will also be allowed to vote.

Julia also confirmed that the long-awaited distribution of Voter’s Information Sheets will begin soon after the VIS materials arrive at his office. These documents contain essential details such as a voter’s precinct number, polling place, instructions on how to vote and use the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs), and the list of national, local, and party-list candidates.

“This paper might look like any other, but it’s required by law,” Julia emphasized. “If people are asking why we’re only discussing it now, it’s because we’re just now putting the spotlight on the VIS that every Filipino is supposed to receive.”

To ensure impartiality, temporary workers and volunteers tasked as distributors have been hired to distribute the VIS. Julia said they will also tap the services of volunteers from the barangays to expeditiously deliver the VIS to more than 121,000 voters in the city.

In line with COMELEC Resolution No. 11086, which implements the Fair Elections Act (RA 9006), the campaign period for national candidates runs from February 11 to May 10, while local campaigning started on March 28 and ends on May 10. Campaigning is strictly prohibited on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, and will resume on Holy Saturday, April 19.

Meanwhile, preparations for election day are in full swing. Ballot boxes and batteries for ACMs have already arrived from Manila and are currently stored at the City Treasurer’s Office. The official ballots and ACMs are expected to arrive shortly after Holy Week.

The delivery of ACMs to 145 clustered precincts across the city is scheduled for May 2 and 3, in time for the final testing and sealing on May 5. These machines and other election materials will be secured by PNP personnel and barangay tanods. Members of political parties and volunteers are encouraged to help guard the equipment.

To support the Naga City Police Office in its poll duties, 150 to 200 additional police personnel from the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office will be deployed.

Refresher briefings for public school teachers who will serve during election day are also scheduled on April 25 and 26 at the Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology.

With election day nearing, COMELEC continues to remind the public to remain informed and vigilant, and to make full use of the VIS as a tool for a smooth and informed voting experience.