Nueva Ecija, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating a local office in Nueva Ecija for allegedly allowing voter information sheets (VIS) to be stored and distributed through a barangay facility—an act that violates official protocols set to prevent election-related politicization.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia confirmed the probe during a press briefing, expressing disappointment over the alleged violation.
“We are investigating a local Comelec office. If it’s true, I’m truly disheartened. The VIS was reportedly handed over to the barangay—something we strictly prohibited,” Garcia said.
The VIS contains personal voter details, such as names and addresses, and includes instructions for casting ballots, along with the official list of candidates and party-lists for the 2025 National and Local Elections.
Garcia emphasized that under Comelec’s official policy, only designated Comelec-hired personnel—not barangay officials—are authorized to distribute the VIS. These temporary staff are issued Comelec ID cards and are required to deliver the VIS directly to voters or their authorized representatives.
“That’s the number one rule: the VIS should never be handled by barangay officials,” Garcia stressed. “Thankfully, our citizens reported the issue early.”
The local Comelec office involved claimed they coordinated with the barangay to verify voters’ residency, but Garcia dismissed this justification.
“We understand their workload, but that’s not an excuse. If that was the case, we could have just handed the distribution back to barangay officials, which we clearly chose not to do for a reason.”
Garcia reiterated to the public that any VIS they receive should only come from Comelec personnel, and warned that sanctions may be imposed if the office in question is found guilty of breaching protocol.
“Let me repeat—only Comelec staff should distribute VIS. If barangay officials are involved in identifying voters, that’s acceptable. But actual distribution? That is absolutely prohibited.”
The Comelec began nationwide distribution of VIS earlier this month as part of its preparations for Eleksyon 2025.