A post on Facebook (FB) is criticizing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for “wasting” millions of pesos as it shredded six million ballots for the May 12 elections. This needs context. The disposal of the ballots was in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling.
Published on Jan. 25, an FB user published the post which read:
“Comelec just wasted ₱132M worth of ballots. VP Sara’s 2022 Confi Funds was only ₱125M. Tell me what the f**k is wrong with this country.”
Discarding the ballots is not due to any perceived failure on the commission’s part, contrary to what the post implies. The Comelec had to shred six million printed ballots – which cost P22 each – due to rulings by the Supreme Court (SC) issuing temporary restraining orders on the disqualification of several electoral candidates.
The SC decisions are “immediately executory,” according to Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia in a Jan. 15 press conference, prompting the disposal.
“This is the first time in our electoral history that the Comelec has to order the reprint – back to zero – of the ballots in compliance with the Supreme Court,” Garcia said in Filipino.
The Comelec chair explained the commission proceeded with the printing without waiting for the SC’s final decision on the appeals to have the ballots printed in time for the May elections.
“What’s important is that we resume the printing of the ballots, at all cost, so our people will not doubt [the integrity of the election] and the candidates know their numbers [on the ballot] ahead of the campaign period starting on Feb. 11,” Garcia further said in Filipino.
Garcia assured the poll body remains in control of the situation and the May 12 polls will proceed as scheduled.
The Comelec resumed printing of the official ballots for the national and local elections on Jan. 27, which was live streamed online.
The FB user’s post which needed context has garnered over 3,700 reactions, 370 comments and 2,200 shares.
