Comelec in no hurry to print ballots

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections said that is in not rushing the printing of ballots for the May 9 elections.

The Comelec has scheduled to start the printing of ballots on February 1 but Senate President Franklin Drilon appealed to the poll body to defer the printing of ballots until the Supreme Court releases its decision on all disqualification cases pending before it.

"I don’t think we are printing the ballots as soon as possible. I think we are printing it at the proper time. We are not in a hurry. We are also not printing the ballots late. We are printing the ballots when they are supposed to be printed," Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said on Thursday.

Jimenez said that the elections cannot proceed if the Comelec is not yet ready.

"The bottom line for the Comelec is readiness for the elections," the Comelec official said.

The Comelec official also said that the commission was not partial for presidential Sen. Grace Poe, who has a pending disqualification case before the high court.

Poe's name was still included in the initial list of presidential candidates despite the disqualification case filed against her.

"Whatever happens to the case of Sen. Poe, we will treat those who will also go to the SC the same way. We will treat it exactly the same way. We will treat a certain candidate the same as other candidates," Jimenez said.

The Comelec clarified that the initial list of local and national candidates for the upcoming elections is subject to change depending on the outcome of pending issues and cases.