Comelec faces P100-million loss, 'significant delay' in poll preps after court order in favor of disqualified bets
ADVERTISEMENT
Welcome, Kapamilya! We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. Continuing to use this site means you agree to our use of cookies. Tell me more!
Comelec faces P100-million loss, 'significant delay' in poll preps after court order in favor of disqualified bets
Workers conduct the the Final Testing and Sealing of ballots and other paraphernalia at the National Printing Office, North Diliman, Quezon City on January 15, 2025. The Commission on Elections has suspended the printing of ballots for the May elections to give way to the inclusion of names of five candidates rejected earlier by the Comelec but ordered reinstated by the Supreme Court. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
Workers conduct the the Final Testing and Sealing of ballots and other paraphernalia at the National Printing Office, North Diliman, Quezon City on January 15, 2025. The Commission on Elections has suspended the printing of ballots for the May elections to give way to the inclusion of names of five candidates rejected earlier by the Comelec but ordered reinstated by the Supreme Court. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA — The Supreme Court's (SC) order in favor of 5 disqualified 2025 candidates will cost the Commission on Elections (Comelec) around P100 million and a "significant delay" in its preparations for the midterm elections set to take place in about 100 days.
MANILA — The Supreme Court's (SC) order in favor of 5 disqualified 2025 candidates will cost the Commission on Elections (Comelec) around P100 million and a "significant delay" in its preparations for the midterm elections set to take place in about 100 days.
The SC this week issued temporary restraining orders (TRO) against the Comelec for its decisions preventing aspirants Subair Guinthum Mustapha, Charles Savellano, Chito Bulatao Balintay, Florendo de Ramos Ritualo, Jr., and Edgar Erice from participating in the 2025 polls over various grounds.
The SC this week issued temporary restraining orders (TRO) against the Comelec for its decisions preventing aspirants Subair Guinthum Mustapha, Charles Savellano, Chito Bulatao Balintay, Florendo de Ramos Ritualo, Jr., and Edgar Erice from participating in the 2025 polls over various grounds.
However, the SC order came out after the Comelec had kicked off the printing of the ballots, which excluded the names of the disqualified aspirants.
However, the SC order came out after the Comelec had kicked off the printing of the ballots, which excluded the names of the disqualified aspirants.
According to Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco, the poll body had already printed 6 million ballots when the SC issued the TRO. He said this would cost them around P100 million.
According to Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco, the poll body had already printed 6 million ballots when the SC issued the TRO. He said this would cost them around P100 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
"We have to pay for the ballots that were printed, the 6 million ballots amount to P100 million... We have to reprint the 6 million ballots, and this will add to the cost," he told ANC's Dateline on Wednesday.
"We have to pay for the ballots that were printed, the 6 million ballots amount to P100 million... We have to reprint the 6 million ballots, and this will add to the cost," he told ANC's Dateline on Wednesday.
"If our funds are not enough, we have to go to Congress for supplemental budget... The cost is more than P100 million just for printing of the ballots [but] it doesn't stop there. We have to hire additional personnel, pay overtime services," he added.
"If our funds are not enough, we have to go to Congress for supplemental budget... The cost is more than P100 million just for printing of the ballots [but] it doesn't stop there. We have to hire additional personnel, pay overtime services," he added.
Aside from the financial repercussions, the Comelec will also have to redo some procedures.
Aside from the financial repercussions, the Comelec will also have to redo some procedures.
"Admittedly this will cause a significant delay because we have to start anew. We need to review and amend and change all of the programs that we have already certified and that includes the election management system, the automated counting machine, the consolidation and canvassing system, as well as the online voting and counting system. We have to change all of these," he said.
"Admittedly this will cause a significant delay because we have to start anew. We need to review and amend and change all of the programs that we have already certified and that includes the election management system, the automated counting machine, the consolidation and canvassing system, as well as the online voting and counting system. We have to change all of these," he said.
"We may have to undergo another certification. [Only] then can we generate anew the ballot templates," he added.
"We may have to undergo another certification. [Only] then can we generate anew the ballot templates," he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
The spokesman said that Comelec did everything it could in notifying the SC about its timeline in the hopes of avoiding disruptions to its preparations.
The spokesman said that Comelec did everything it could in notifying the SC about its timeline in the hopes of avoiding disruptions to its preparations.
"We have always been informing the Supreme Court of the Comelec timelines. We first wrote a letter to the honorable chief justice in August and sometime in December, updating them about our activities," Laudiangco said.
"We have always been informing the Supreme Court of the Comelec timelines. We first wrote a letter to the honorable chief justice in August and sometime in December, updating them about our activities," Laudiangco said.
The Comelec said it respects the SC's actions, which are "part of the process."
The Comelec said it respects the SC's actions, which are "part of the process."
Comelec said it may be ready to reprint the ballots adding the names of the 5 disqualified bets, but with a caveat. Laudiangco said there are still a handful of petitions against Comelec pending before the Supreme Court.
Comelec said it may be ready to reprint the ballots adding the names of the 5 disqualified bets, but with a caveat. Laudiangco said there are still a handful of petitions against Comelec pending before the Supreme Court.
"We're hoping and praying that there would be no more issuance of TROs that could severely affect further our timelines... It's simply something that Comelec cannot imagine right now given the very strictest timeline that we have," the Comelec official said.
"We're hoping and praying that there would be no more issuance of TROs that could severely affect further our timelines... It's simply something that Comelec cannot imagine right now given the very strictest timeline that we have," the Comelec official said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comelec chairman George Garcia on Thursday said the reprinting of ballots should start by Monday next week "at all cost."
Comelec chairman George Garcia on Thursday said the reprinting of ballots should start by Monday next week "at all cost."
“Talagang at all cost gagawin natin dapat by Monday... Again the most ideal is really Monday, whether Monday afternoon or Monday evening basta importante sana makapag-imprenta tayo sa darating na Lunes," Garcia said.
“Talagang at all cost gagawin natin dapat by Monday... Again the most ideal is really Monday, whether Monday afternoon or Monday evening basta importante sana makapag-imprenta tayo sa darating na Lunes," Garcia said.
The 6 million ballots earlier printed are set to be destroyed starting this weekend.
The 6 million ballots earlier printed are set to be destroyed starting this weekend.
For more news and features on Philippine elections, visit the ABS-CBN News' Halalan 2025 page.
—With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
RELATED VIDEOS:
Read More:
Comelec
Commission on Elections
SC
Supreme Court
TRO
temporary restraining order
Halalan 2025
halalan
midrerm elections
ballot
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
