LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines?Senator Manuel Villar said Thursday he was opposed to holding early elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Speaking to reporters in Legazpi where the presidential candidate distributed relief goods to Mayon Volcano evacuees, Villar said having the elections earlier in the region could result in "trending."

"Early voting might establish a trend that could affect the opinion of others," Villar said. "I think the government has the capability to conduct simultaneous elections. Timing is important. We don't want [trending] to unduly influence those who have not voted [yet]."

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in an en banc resolution Tuesday urged Congress to fast-track a law that would allow elections to be conducted in the ARMM not later that April 12, 2010.

The Constitution provides that local and national polls should be held on the same date.

The Comelec has been calling for separate balloting in the ARMM, which has a long history of election cheating and violence, in order to concentrate its security and administrative forces there.