BY MA. THERESA LADIAO
ILOILO City — In preparation for the May 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Region 6, along with the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) and the 301st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, has launched the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) to strengthen election security in Western Visayas.
The RJSCC was officially unveiled yesterday, November 6, at Camp Delgado here.
Comelec-6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan, PRO-6 director Brigadier General Jack Wanky, and 301st Brigade commander Brigadier General Michael Samson led the launch of this coordinated security effort aimed at ensuring a peaceful electoral process.
The RJSCC will serve as a central hub for Comelec, police, and military collaboration during the election period.
PRO-6 spokesperson Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis underscored the RJSCC’s role in unifying multiple agencies for election security.
“This multi-agency center, spearheaded by Comelec, is essential to our preparations for the upcoming elections,” Solis said during a press briefing.
Ausan emphasized that the RJSCC’s establishment is a critical step in ensuring a smooth and secure election process.
“Following the voter registration and the filing of Certificates of Candidacy, our priority has shifted to election security. Convening the RJSCC is a mandated procedure initiated two months before the election period,” he said.
Wanky assured the public of the police force’s readiness, stating that law enforcement units are fully mobilized to respond to any election-related incidents.
“Although the RJSCC has just been launched, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is already on high alert, and we have yet to encounter any significant complaints or politically motivated cases,” Wanky noted.
The 301st Brigade commander, Brigadier General Samson added that recent anti-insurgency efforts have helped stabilize the region, lowering the risk of disruption during the elections. “Our anti-insurgency campaigns have significantly reduced threats. The military is committed to safeguarding a peaceful election environment,” he said, noting that only a few elements linked to past extortion activities remain active.
The election period will start on January 12, 2025, ushering in a number of changes in policies, including a gun ban, prohibition on the suspension of elective officials, and prohibition on the movement of officers in the civil service, among others.
Candidates for the Senate and the party-list system will be allowed to officially campaign beginning February 11, while local aspirants can start wooing voters on March 28. The campaign period will end on May 10.
Overseas voters will be allowed to vote a month in advance, beginning April 13, while Filipinos here in the Philippines are scheduled to cast their ballots on election day, May 12.
The dates to remember are summarized below:
* January 12 to June 11, 2025: Election period, gun ban
* February 11 to May 10, 2025: Campaign period for candidates for senator and groups in the party-list system
* March 28 to May 10, 2025: Campaign period for candidates for House district lawmaker, and parliamentary, provincial, city, and municipal officials
* April 13 to May 12, 2025: Voting by overseas voters
* April 28 to 30, 2025: Voting by local absentee voters
* May 11, 2025: Liquor ban
*May 12, 2025: Election day
*June 11, 2025: Last day to file statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE)./PN
