Eddie Gil’s problem: Name no longer on ballot

Candidate Eddie Gil is facing another obstacle in his bid to become the country’s next president.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced yesterday that the name of the standard-bearer of Isang Bansa Isang Diwa party has not been printed on election returns to be distributed to provinces nationwide.

However, Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said there was no problem as the poll body can issue a memorandum authorizing the inclusion of Gil’s name in the election returns.

"So let him protest," he said when told that Gil plans to hold a protest action. "This is not our doing. I don’t know what the Supreme court (was) thinking in issuing the decision (allowing Gil to rejoin the presidential race)."

In the 2001 elections, the poll body ordered Gil’s name included in the election return after he was allowed to rejoin the senatorial race at the last minute.

Election returns contain the names of candidates on which tallies are made for each polling precinct.

Earlier, Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said the deliveries of election returns and ballots are expected to start on April 26.

Borra said some 30 million of the planned 40 million ballots have already been printed, and that the first to be printed were election returns for "priority" areas in far-flung provinces.

The printing is expected to be completed by April 22, he added.

Comelec figures show 213,522 established and clustered precincts have been set up for the May 10 national and local elections.