Comelec body proposes no logo in forms for barangay, SK polls

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) wants to do away with its logo in the non-accountable forms for the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

Lawyer Ferdinand Rafanan, Bids and Awards Committee chairman, said the removal of the logo would save the government time and money.

“We have not computed it but it should not be less than 50 percent,” he said.

Rafanan said non-accountable forms like the paper where the list of voters would be printed, ball pens, markers, coupon bonds and ballot secrecy folders need not have the Comelec logo.

“Having the logo means additional costs for us,” he said. 

“So why not do away with the logo to save money. Having or not having it does not actually affect the whole process at all.

“Why spend for something whose price has been tripled because of the logo?”

Rafanan said the BAC is studying the possibility of buying many of the non-accountable forms from the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management.

“I was surprised when I learned about the Procurement Service where commonly used office supplies used in government offices are readily available at cheaper prices,” he added.

The Comelec’s budget for the barangay and SK elections is P3.4 billion. However, P398 million is for supplies and P230 million for delivering the election paraphernalia to polling precincts.

Gun ban for barangay polls

Top police and military officials will discuss with Comelec officials the implementation of the total gun ban and other security measures for the barangay and SK elections.

The Comelec has ordered police and the military to enforce a nationwide gun ban from Sept. 25 to Nov. 10 or 30 days before and 15 days after the elections.

Metro Manila police commander Director Leocadio Santiago said the nationwide gun ban will start on Friday.

“We will be jointly conducting checkpoint operations with our counterparts from the (Armed Forces National Capital Region Command) in strategic areas of Metro Manila,” he said.

The meeting with Comelec officials would determine probable problems, like vote-buying, set to be encountered by policemen and soldiers deployed for the barangay elections, Santiago said.

Meanwhile, Santiago said he would also tackle with military officials security measures for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days and the Christmas season.

Santiago said traffic would be rerouted near cemeteries in Metro Manila on All Saints’ Day, while police visibility would be heightened during the Christmas season.

“Police assistance centers would be erected in shopping malls and commercial centers in the metropolis during the Christmas season to prevent criminals from victimizing the innocent public,” he said.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo has mobilized the 135,000-strong police force to assume election duties as Comelec deputies.

“We take this challenge as another opportunity for the PNP to shine and possibly duplicate our fine performance of election duties in the May 2010 national and local polls,” he said.

Bacalzo has named Director Benjamin Belarmino, deputy chief for operations, as commander of National Task Force HOPE 2010-Bravo to oversee election security operations. — Sheila Crisostomo, Non Alquitran, Mike Frialde