Comelec finishes printing 59.5 million ballots for barangay, youth polls

October 2, 2017

The Commission on Elections said the National Printing Office has finished printing the 59,548,410 ballots for the October 23 Barangay and the Sangguniang Kabataan polls.

But whether these ballots will be shipped to cities and municipalities in Luzon and Visayas remains to be tackled by the Comelec as President Rodrigo Duterte will sign it into law postponing the two elections to March 18, 2018.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said in a radio interview he does not know why the Comelec continued to prepare for the polls. "Perhaps they are waiting for the president to sign the bill postponing the elections.," he said.

Pimentel said he has signed the enrolled bill postponing the barangay and youth polls.

Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said "ballots for Luzon and Visayas - 59.5 million - are finished."

Tuesday's en banc meeting of the Comelec will decide if the ballots will be sent to the provinces.

The House of Representatives said it will adopt the Senate version of the bill postponing the elections, which dispenses the need for a bicameral conference committee. DMS