Workers conduct the the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) of Ballots, Local Absentee Voting (LAV) Ballots, Overseas Voting (OV) Ballots, Official Ballots (OB) for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and CARAGA, BARMM Parliamentary Election Ballots, and Mock Election Ballots at the National Printing Office, North Diliman, Quezon City on January 15, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Comelec will proceed with the printing of ballots on Saturday after an update to include names the Supreme Court ordered it to put on the ballot.

Reprinting may happen before that as soon as the ballot face updating and serialization are finished.

"We will proceed at all costs by Saturday regardless of any developments," Comelec Chairman George Garcia said, citing lack of time for preparations for the midterm elections in May.

He said the Comelec will address developments, like the need to add more names, "on a case to case basis."

Garcia could not say what would happen if more temporary restraining orders are issued to include names of aspirants whom the commission has already declared nuisances.

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“Kung 'yan po ang pag-uutos sa atin at 'yan po ang kakailanganin, bakit hindi? Basta may sapat pang panahon. Again, sa puntong ito ang panahon numinipis na nang sobra."

(If that is what they order us to do, why not? As long as there is enough time. Again, at this point, time is really getting tight)

The poll body intends to finish the ballot faces and serialization in the next two to three days.

“Kung kinakailangan namin i-overtime, i-overnight namin ang mga tauhan gagawin namin 'yan,” Garcia said. 

(If we need to work overtime, overnight, we will do that)

The Comelec intends to use four printing machines of the National Printing Office in addition to the existing machines provided by supplier Miru.

Mock elections will proceed on Saturday. 

Asked to react to former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban’s column saying the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion in handling cases, Garcia said the issuance of TROs does not mean the SC saw abuse.

He said the Supreme Court has in the past issued TROs against the Comelec only to later affirm the commission's decisions.

FRANCIS LEO MARCOS

Garcia said the name of Francis Leo Marcos — a stage name, which is allowed — will come before the name of Sen. Imee Marcos since names are listed in alphabetical order.

"Ang importante, dahil sa TRO ng SC, kasama na po ang pangalan ni Mr. Francis Marcos sa balota na gagawin natin," he said.

(What is important is that, because of the Supreme Court TRO, Mr. Francis Marcos' name will be on the ballot)

Garcia said he cannot say how this will affect Sen. Marcos' candidacy, but said a provision in the Omnibus Election Code describes a nuisance candidates as one who causes confusion among the electorate. 

“On the part of the Comelec, tapos na po ang kaso sa amin, at this point wala naman po kaming magagawa kundi tumalima, sumunod sa pinagutos ng Korte Suprema… Kung anuman po ang remedy, magiintay lang kami. But in the meantime, Mr. Leo Marcos is a legitimate candidate in accordance with the TRO, of the Supreme Court,” he said.

(We are done with that case. At this point, we have no choice but to follow the Supreme Court)

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TWO COMMISSIONERS RETIRING

Garcia said preparations for elections will not be affected by the retirement of Comelec commissioners Soccoro Inting and Marlon Casquejo in February, pointing out that the poll body’s divisions will still have a majority and their respective presiding officers.

But Garcia said he hopes President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can appoint and fill up the vacancies before the elections. He said the President can make these appointments without having to seek a Comelec exemption on the election appointment ban.

“Sana nga po ay may ma-appoint kaagad na kapalit nila para kahit paano maging normal ang pagkilos at pagtrabaho ng Comelec gayong dalawang buwan na lang halos eleksyon na,” he also said.

(I hope appointments are made to take their place so the Comelec will have normal operations, given there are only about two months left before the elections)

KONTRA BIGAY

The poll body’s Kontra Bigay standing committee headed by Commissioner Ernesto Maceda, Jr. will meanwhile look into imposing prohibitions on the distribution of Ayuda sa Kapos Ang Kita Program (AKAP) aid similar to prohibitions on other forms of financial assistance.

The committee may release guidelines in February.

Erring candidates may face disqualification. 

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“Because there has been an outcry that the ones who are giving this kind of assistance may also be using it for campaign proposes, to ingratiate themselves with the public. Whether that is the intention or not we want to avoid or prevent that kind of perspective from the part of the public,” Maceda said. 

“In fact, the Omnibus Election Code already prohibits the granting of transportation and cash the day before and on the day of the election day itself. If we expand that to 10 days, that’s what we are reviewing in the committee on Kontra Bigay,” he added. 

The poll body meanwhile will continue to work with e-wallet platforms to combat vote-buying.

He said that, with the cooperation of fintech platforms "for a certain time during the campaign period there will not only be a prohibition but there will also be ceilings" on transactions.