Printing for barangay, SK polls ballots delayed
By Nidz Godino
"We instructed NPO to really start printing of ballots, of course they're still fixing some of our ballot templates…but instructions were there, given to them by the commission last week because our timetable has to be followed…otherwise, we might run out of time," Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said while still on track for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this December, Comelec has opted to reschedule printing of ballots for electoral exercise as it mulls rescheduling filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) set next month. Garcia said in television interview they have instructed National Printing Office (NPO) to start printing of ballots for barangay and SK polls, but agency is still fixing ballot templates.
Garcia said ballot printing will begin on Wednesday.
He expect to finish printing of ballots by Sept. 20.
Garcia reiterated ballots intended for December 2022 barangay and SK polls will not be wasted if elections will be postponed as he emphasized that they can still use these, which is what Comelec did when 2017 elections were postponed to 2018.
In a separate interview, Garcia said they are also studying possibility of rescheduling filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) scheduled next month to shorten campaign period should barangay and SK polls push through.
The Comelec has scheduled filing of COC from Oct. 6 to 13.
"Campaign period too long almost 60 days...at most one week of resetting only," Garcia said in a Viber message.
Garcia noted that they have spent more than P1 billion on preparations for the village and youth council elections, with another P1 billion bankrolled for the printing of ballots; around P3-billion procurement activities and around P300 million for training of teachers and their honoraria.
But he clarified that they have yet to pay their contractors even if they have already issued notices of award to them.
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