EDITORIAL – Disrupted election timetable

After junking at least four million of the six million ballots printed so far, the Commission on Elections released yesterday its “final list” of senatorial candidates for the midterm polls on May. The Comelec also announced the resumption of the printing of over 70 million ballots needed for the polls.

Hours after the Comelec announcement, however, printing had to be suspended again after the Supreme Court issued yet another temporary restraining order, stopping the poll body from disqualifying another senatorial candidate, Francis Leo Antonio Marcos. The SC also issued a second TRO stopping the Comelec from disqualifying Albay Gov. Noel Rosal from running.

The Office of the Ombudsman had dismissed Rosal from the service in June last year for grave misconduct, oppression, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. This was for reassigning several employees of the Albay provincial government and city government of Legazpi following his election as governor and his wife as Legazpi mayor in 2022. His dismissal, which was supposed to be immediately executory, permanently disqualified him from holding public office.

Based on the ombudsman’s order, the Comelec canceled his certificate of candidacy. Rosal obtained the first TRO from the Supreme Court on Oct. 22. He also filed a motion for reconsideration, which the Comelec sitting as a whole denied last Jan. 7. Rosal then sought another TRO from the SC.

The shredding of at least four million ballots to accommodate one senatorial candidate is costing taxpayers nearly P100 million. Also, ballot printing is already much delayed by the SC restraining orders. The judiciary is an independent branch of government, while the Comelec is a constitutional body that is supposed to enjoy a measure of independence in performing its mandate of supervising elections in this country. The Office of the Ombudsman is also an independent constitutional body tasked to be the principal watchdog against graft and to promote good government.

There must be some way for the three agencies to streamline the process of disqualifying candidates, appealing the decision and rendering final judgment without seriously disrupting the timetable, which is almost always tight, to prepare for elections. The current mess should open the doors for the needed reforms.