The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced that it will resume printing ballots for the 2025 national and local elections on Monday, January 27, following a three-week delay caused by legal hurdles and operational setbacks.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia confirmed the poll body’s determination to push through with the printing despite pending petitions before the Supreme Court.
“At all costs, kinakailangan tayo ay makapag-imprenta ng balota by tomorrow. Kahit na may mga kaso pa sa ating Kaatas-taasang Hukuman, magtutuloy-tuloy tayo sa ating pag-iimprenta,” Garcia stated in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB. (At all costs, we must start printing ballots by tomorrow. Even if there are still cases pending before the Supreme Court, we will proceed.)
Legal Challenges and TROs
Garcia acknowledged that pending petitions before the Supreme Court could potentially increase, following the issuance of temporary restraining orders (TROs) that halted printing earlier. One TRO rendered six million already printed ballots—worth ₱132 million—unusable due to disqualifications of several local candidates.
The Comelec, however, emphasized that printing will continue as long as no additional TROs are issued.
New Printing Goals
With operations set to restart, Comelec is targeting the production of 1.5 million ballots daily, an increase from the previous goal of one million per day, to make up for lost time.
Printing was initially postponed last week after senatorial aspirant Francis Leo Marcos withdrew his candidacy, which necessitated changes to the ballot layout.
Commitment to Timelines
Comelec assured the public that they are prepared to move forward with printing efforts to meet critical deadlines for the May 12 midterm elections.
“We are ready by tomorrow,” Garcia reiterated, as the poll body aims to address the delays while keeping the election timeline intact.