NPO released election ballots on time – Coloma

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma on Saturday said the National Printing Office (NPO) completed the release of all election ballots three days before the elections to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“The NPO chief, Emmanuel Andaya, reported that the last batch of the election materials were received by the Comelec on Oct. 22,” Secretary Coloma said in a statement. The NPO is one of the agencies supervised by the PCOO.

Coloma also clarified that the NPO’s mandate was limited to the printing of the ballots, and was not tasked with distributing them.

Last Sunday, the Comelec issued resolution No. 9078 ordering the postponement of elections to Oct. 26 or 27 in areas where “official ballots, accountable forms and other election paraphernalia will arrive at its designated polling center after 12:00noon of Oct. 25.”

The Comelec was acting on reports indicating that “there will be delays in the arrival” of the election materials in some areas.

As of 3 p.m. today, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) election watch quoted Police Director Benjamin Belarmino as reporting that elections were suspended in 1,599 barangays, less than four percent of the 42,025 barangays nationwide.

The polls were suspended mostly in barangays in four provinces in the Bicol region, including the island provinces of Masbate and Catanduanes, Belarmino said. (PIA Release)