MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday that the May 9, 2022 polls were the "most successful election" in the country's election history.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said this during the last leg of the poll body's post-election assessment for automated election systems held in General Santos City.

Garcia cited the 82 percent trust rating that it got from the latest Pulse Asia survey over the conduct of the May 9 polls.

"Na-restore ang trust ng mga mamamayan sa Comelec. Marunong naman palang bumilang. Tama naman palang mag-proclaim," Garcia said.

He also noted that in the 2022 polls, incidents of election-related violence were only at 23, much lower than 166 incidents in 2016 and 133 in 2019.

For this, he thanked the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for their "intensified efforts" in supporting the Comelec's goal in the conduct of a peaceful election.

He also praised the "speed and accuracy" by which votes were tallied, noting that by 10:00 p.m. of May 9, other presidential candidates were already conceding to the then-frontrunner, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The fact that other presidential bets conceded that early, Garcia said, is what he called proof that the outcome of the May 9 polls were credible.

COMELEC DEBUNKS REPORTS IN PUERTO PRINCESA

Meanwhile, the poll body denied reports that Puerto Princesa, Palawan Mayor Lucilo Bayron was dismissed or removed from his post upon orders from the Comelec 2nd Division.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the poll body instead dismissed the petition to cancel Bayron's candidacy in an order dated January 28, 2022.

—with report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

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