Comelec approves ballot printing deal

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday approved the contract with the National Printing Office (NPO) for the printing of ballots for next year’s elections.

The NPO will charge the Comelec P5 for each ballot printed.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said they were still waiting for the reports from local Comelec offices regarding the voters’ registration, but it is estimated that there would be 53 million voters next year.

He gave assurance that no extra ballot would be printed to avoid irregularity.

Comelec Commissioner Christian Robert Lim said they would pay P5 for each ballot and P5.60 for the use of ink and other consumables.

“We will be using the Cannon printers. No need to outsource the printing,” Lim said.

Based on Comelec’s timeline, it will come up with the official list of candidates by Dec. 10 and ballot printing will start by early January.

The Comelec will prioritize the printing and shipment of ballots for the polling precincts in the provinces.

No extension

Despite clamor by some sectors, the Comelec will not extend the voters’ registration, which ended on Oct. 31.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, who was at the Comelec office in Bacolod City on Monday, said any extension would be difficult as there is a deadline for the printing of ballots and the list of voters.

Guanzon, a former mayor of Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, was reacting to a move by some lawmakers to pass a resolution seeking to extend the voters’ registration.

She said Comelec officials, especially provincial election supervisors, need to prepare for the projection of precincts, clustering, template and printing of ballots.

She said the Comelec had given voters sufficient time to register, noting “if they did not we should not be blamed.”

Guanzon said election offices, especially those in Metro Manila, were very crowded during the last day of the registration.

“Last minute registrants are always a problem and then they get mad at our election officers,” she said.

“They can still register before the October 2016 barangay elections,” she added.

Guanzon said the Comelec is preparing the voters’ list for the May 2016 elections.

“This ‘no-bio, no-boto’ is part of the validation process and to clean up the voters’ list of ghost voters or double voters and dead people. The automation is also meant to clean up the voters’ list,” she said.

Guanzon said the poll body has yet to collate all data from different provinces and cities to determine the number of voters.

She said there is no prohibition yet on early campaigning of candidates as the campaign period has yet to start.

“There are a lot of advertisements. I hope (they are) not using government money,” she said. – With Danny Dangcalan