The Commission on Elections (Comelec) asked lawmakers to finalize their decision on the schedule of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) before the end of September, as they start the printing of ballots for the upcoming elections.
“We are deeply, really praying that hopefully, before the end of September, this issue will be put to an end. And hopefully, we’ll have a definite answer,” Comelec chairman George Garcia said via an interview with CNN Philippines.
Further delays may potentially cause “complications” with the start of filing of certificates of candidacies on October 6, Garcia said.
He added that the printing of the ballots for the local elections is scheduled to commence on Sept. 20 and end on Oct. 20.
“For the entire month, from September 20 to October 20, matatapos dapat ang printing ng mga balota natin kasama ang verification,” he said. “We are supposed to start the printing of the ballots today and we are waiting for information from the National Printing Office.”
Garcia explained that no ballots will be trashed even if the barangay elections will be canceled since the voters will manually write the names of their candidates.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives, approved on second reading House Bill 4673 which aims to postpone the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this December 5 to the first Monday of December 2023.
— Ronald Espartinez