14/10/2026
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๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ | ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐-๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐
The Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) and the Association of the Asian Election Authorities (AAEA) gatherings hosted by the Commission are still ongoing as of this writing. The International Conference and the General Assemblies are yet to conclude, and the turnover of the chairmanship of both organizations to the Philippines is still ahead of us. Even so, I want to put down a few thoughts while they are fresh.
What strikes me most is the value of these events as a venue for collective sharing of experience. Election management bodies tend to work in isolation, busy with our own calendars, our own laws, our own voters.
Weeks like this one remind us that we are not alone in that work, and that the problems that keep us awake in Manila are the same problems that keep our counterparts awake in Jakarta, in Seoul, in Nairobi, in Bogotรก: securing the transmission of results, dealing with disinformation, reaching voters in remote or underserved areas, managing procurement on tight timelines, and maintaining public trust when results are contested. Hearing how other commissions have handled these is useful in a very practical way.
There is no need to reinvent what a colleague has already tested.
I have also appreciated the openness of the exchanges, and I hope this continues through the conclusion of the gatherings and beyond, in the day-to-day cooperation among our commissions that these associations are meant to support Election bodies stand to gain from sharing good practice freely with one another. A credible election in one country makes it easier to argue for credible elections everywhere. That is the spirit I have seen in the sessions so far, and it is what makes organizations like A-WEB and the AAEA worth sustaining.
For the Philippine COMELEC, this week carries a particular meaning. We are honored by the recognition our peers have given us and by the opportunity to serve as Chairperson of both A-WEB and the AAEA for 2026 to 2028. The simultaneous leadership of a global and a regional association of election bodies is a first for the Philippines. We are grateful for the confidence of fellow election management bodies in the work of the Commission. We are committed to keep this kind of exchange going over the next two years, and to contribute what we have learned from running elections in a country of more than seven thousand islands.
I thank our guests for their presence and participation, and the officials and personnel of the Commission for the work they have put into this week. The work of this week is not yet finished, but I am already proud of what it has brought together. To our visiting delegates, we hope your stay in the Philippines has been pleasant and productive, and that you leave with new ideas, new partnerships, and good memories of Filipino hospitality. We look forward to welcoming you again.
๐ด๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!
