Comelec mulls using NPO printing machines for 2025 ballot reprint

SCRUTINY. Technicians inspect a printing machine for ballots and other forms for the 2025 midterm polls at the National Printing Office in Quezon City on Tuesday (Sept. 24, 2024). South Korean contractor Miru Systems delivered two machines on Sept. 16 and 21. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is considering using the printing machines of the National Printing Office (NPO) to expedite the reprinting of ballots for the 2025 elections, poll chief George Garcia said on Wednesday.

Garcia said that using the NPO printing machines is an “option,” as the poll body is two weeks behind schedule due to the suspension of ballot printing.

READ: Comelec to destroy 6 million printed ballots for 2025 polls

“May apat na makina ang national printing office na ginamit ng printing nung nakaraan. Mabilis ‘yun, naging successful. Ngayon po, pinagiisipan namin and pwedeng irekomenda ng inyong lingkod sa commission en banc na ‘yung lahat ng makina ng NPO, kasama ‘yung apat at ‘yung dalawa na ginagamit,” Garcia said in a press conference.

(The National Printing Office has four machines that were used for printing in the past, which were fast and successful. Now, we are considering them, and I may recommend to the Commission en banc, that all of NPO’s machines, including the four and the two currently in use, be utilized.)

“Babayaran natin ang printing services ng National Printing Office,” Garcia added.

(We will pay for the printing services of the National Printing Office.)

Garcia shared that an ongoing assessment is being conducted on the NPO machines to determine if they can be aligned with the election management system, which contains the contents and process of printing ballots.

The poll body, which began printing ballots on January 6, has already produced approximately six million. It was using the two new printers from HP, which can produce one million ballots each day.

READ: New ballot-printing machines are ‘fully automated’ – HP

The Supreme Court issued temporary restraining orders on Tuesday against the poll body regarding the cases of five poll aspirants, leading to the immediate cessation of ballot printing.

The court reversed the poll body’s initial ruling, which had declared senatorial aspirant Subair Guinthum Mustapha a nuisance candidate. The Comelec stated that Mustapha’s name will now be included on the ballots.