MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is making significant headway in its ballot printing process, having printed approximately 27 million official ballots since reprinting began in late January. This represents 37% of the total 72,107,420 ballots required for the upcoming May 12 elections.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia expressed optimism during a press briefing at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City, stating, “As far as ballot printing is concerned, we are so far so good. We have been exceeding our daily target of ballots to be printed.” He estimated that the printing process could be completed by mid to late March, with a target date of March 19, contingent on the performance of the printing machines.
To enhance efficiency, Comelec has established a verification facility at Amoranto, equipped with 250 automated counting machines (ACMs) and 500 manual verifiers. “If we are able to verify one million per day here and another one million at the National Printing Office (NPO), we will have two million per day for verification,” Garcia noted, emphasizing the potential to verify 20 million ballots in just ten days.
As part of their ongoing efforts, the NPO has already verified at least three million ballots. Despite the progress, the Comelec has affirmed that printing will continue regardless of recent withdrawals by several senatorial candidates. Garcia clarified that the printed ballots will not be altered, stating, “We can no longer compromise the 27 million ballots we printed.”
Recent withdrawals include health advocate Dr. Willie Ong, who announced his exit from the race due to health concerns related to sarcoma. Ong’s wife filed his candidacy in October, and he has since shifted his focus to treatment abroad. Garcia indicated that candidates unable to file their withdrawal personally can do so with a doctor’s certification.
AGRI party-list Representative Wilbert Lee also withdrew from the Senate race, citing insufficient resources for campaigning. As the election date approaches, the Comelec remains committed to ensuring a smooth and efficient voting process, despite the challenges posed by candidate withdrawals.
