THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended the printing of official ballots following a Supreme Court (SC) ruling that prevents the disqualification of former Caloocan City Representative Edgar Erice and other candidates from the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).
The decision to halt printing came after an emergency Comelec meeting to address the SC’s order. The poll body immediately implemented contingency measures, including the cessation of ballot printing and subsequent amendments to its candidates’ database, election management system (EMS), automated counting machine (ACM), and consolidation and canvassing system (CCS).
The Comelec generated 1,667 new ballot face templates to reflect the SC decision, inventoried all printed ballots, and assessed whether EMS changes necessitate a new “trusted build.” A live test for the online voting and counting system (OVCS) and scheduled mock elections on January 18 have been cancelled. All affected ballots will be reprinted once EMS changes are implemented.
The Comelec acknowledged the time and cost involved but emphasized its respect for the SC’s decision. “While these actions are indeed time consuming and very costly, COMELEC fully respects the decision of the Supreme Court, and we recognize these Orders as part of legal processes,” the Comelec stated. They assured the public that the situation is under control and contingency measures are in place to minimize delays.
The SC issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the Comelec from disqualifying Erice and two others previously declared nuisance candidates.
The Comelec must respond to Erice’s petition within 10 days. SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting clarified that the TRO mandates the inclusion of these candidates’ names on the ballot.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia previously stated that candidates with final and executory disqualification rulings were excluded from the ballot, including Erice, whose disqualification was upheld earlier this month.
Candidates with pending cases, however, remained on the ballot. Erice petitioned the SC for a TRO on January 3rd, prompting the current developments. The suspension of ballot printing highlights the significant impact of the SC’s ruling on the upcoming elections.
