Comelec seeks additional space at NPO for ballot verification

SCRUTINY. Technicians inspect a printing machine for ballots and other forms for the 2025 midterm polls at the National Printing Office in Quezon City in this file photo taken on Sept. 24, 2024. PNA / Joan Bondoc
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is seeking an additional space at the printing office for the conduct of ballot verification for the 2025 elections, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday.
According to Garcia, the poll body is having difficulty in verifying printed ballots due to lack of space in the National Printing Office (NPO) to fit in the 500 automated counting machines (ACM) they use for verification.
“Naghanap kami ng mga espasyo upang yung balance ng mga machine na hindi nagagamit ay magamit doon sa lugar na yon at doon kami magverify, magkakasabay na and at the same time doon na namin ipapacking yung mga balotang yan,” Garcia said in an ambush interview.
(We looked for a space so we can use the remaining machines that we can’t use [in the NPO] and we will conduct verification and packing of ballots there.)
READ: 10 million ballots representing 13% of total ballots for May polls printed
Article continues after this advertisementHe added that the verification is done manually where the printed ballots are being fed into the ACMs. Garcia noted that they can only use 250 ACMs on a daily average due to the lack of space.
Article continues after this advertisementFurther, he said that the Comelec is choosing between two properties where they can hold the activity.
“Ang pinagpipilian po namin ay yung malaking espasyo ng National Irrigation Administration [NIA] sa tabi ng National Printing Office at dyan po sa Amoranto stadium. Parehas po naming nakausap ang LGU [local government unit] ng QC [Quezon City] at ang administration ng NIA. Very much willing po sila na ipagamit sa atin yung mga espasyo,” Garcia stated.
(We are choosing between the huge space in the National Irrigation Administration beside the National Printing Office and in the Amoranto stadium. We both talked to the LGU of Quezon City and the administration of NIA. They are very much willing to lend their spaces.)
He assured that the ballots are allowed to be transported outside the NPO, as long as the printing activity is done in the printing office. He also said that the poll body will not allow the conduct of ballot verification to another area without the presence of the media, election observers and watchdogs.
The poll body chief shared that around 11 million ballots have been printed since it resumed its production last January 27.
The Comelec began printing ballots last January 6, with approximately 6 million ballots as the initial outputs. However, the poll body immediately stopped its production after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order where it had to include the names of senatorial aspirants that were initially declared as nuisance candidates.