The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that no printed ballots and other election paraphernalia for the December 2022 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) would go to waste amid the postponement of the elections.
Comelec chairperson George Garcia made the statement after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act 11935 which postpones the 2022 BSKE to the last Monday of October 2023.
“‘Yung aming na-imprenta na na 5 hanggang 6 milyon na mga balota ay hindi po naman masasayang sapagkat gagamitin pa rin naman natin ‘yun dahil ito nga ay manual elections at ang mga botante ay magsusulat ng pangalan ng mga iboboto nila,” he said in a radio interview.
“Ito ay gagawan lang namin ng resolusyon at sasabihin na ang amin nang na-imprenta na balota na nauna ay valid at puwedeng gawin na balota sa susunod na halalan,” he added.
Meanwhile, ballot printing operations at the National Printing Office will be temporarily suspended to reconfigure the ballot face templates of the October 30, 2023 date of the elections in the next batch of official ballots.
Garcia, on the other hand, said that they will approve another resolution informing the public of the suspension of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) supposedly from October 22 to 29.
The Comelec also plans to resume the Continuing System of Voter Registration in the last week of November or first week of December this year.
“Sa mismong anim na buwan na magkakaron tayo ng registration, mga 5 milyon na botante. Baka nga umabot ng higit pa, lalo na’t meron tayong mga SK 14 [years old] sa kasalukuyan na magiging 15 [years old] na sa susunod na taon,” Garcia said.
— Ronald Espartinez