Comelec to file raps vs officials ‘indiscriminately issuing’ barangay certificates
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Monday that it would file criminal and administrative cases against barangay officials who were found to be indiscriminately issuing barangay certificates.
“The Comelec law department has already issued subpoenas to barangay officials allegedly involved in the massive issuance of barangay certificates. We’re asking them to answer the allegations,” Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said during the hearing conducted by the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation.
“This is an election offense which has a corresponding punishment of one to six years imprisonment,” he said of the issuance of barangay certificates that has led to an influx of voter registration in some areas ahead of the 2025 May elections.
Garcia revealed that the task force created by the poll body to investigate the alleged indiscriminate issuance of barangay certificates had discovered an “unusual” increase in newly registered voters and those who transferred registration from one area to another.
He said the task force had investigated at least nine areas, including Makati City, San Juan City, Cagayan de Oro City, Cabanatuan City, and Ormoc City.
“These efforts to prevent the real sentiments of the people (from being) reflected are unacceptable and disgusting,” Garcia said.
“It is clear that some barangay officials issued barangay certificates without proper basis…this is a threat to the credibility of the upcoming polls,” he added.
Massive issuance in Makati
The poll body chief in Makati City said that the task force and the Comelec en banc recommended that criminal charges be filed against barangay officials involved in the massive issuance of barangay certification.
The poll body referred the cases to the Department of Interior and Local Government, he said, for the purpose of filing administrative charges against these erring officials allegedly.
Garcia also reiterated the Comelec recommendation for Congress to disallow the use of barangay certificates as evidence of one’s residency.
“We now have the National ID and other government-issued IDs,” he said.
