45.3 million ballots for barangay, SK polls printed

MANILA, Philippines — More than half of the total official ballots needed for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections have been printed nine months before the holding of the polls in October this year, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

Data provided by the poll body showed that the National Printing Office has printed 45.3 million ballots as of this week, with 45.2 million remaining to complete the 90.6 million ballots for all registered voters.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the figure did not include those who applied in the just-concluded voter registration period.

The printed ballots were for Bangsamoro, Caraga, Davao, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen, the Visayas and Zamboanga peninsula as well as Batanes.

Printing of ballots for Bicol is ongoing. For the rest of the regions and other areas of Cagayan, printing has yet to commence.

At least 2.5 million new voter applications were received nationwide during the registration period from Dec. 12, 2022 to Jan. 31.

Meanwhile, a municipal election officer was killed in an ambush by unidentified assailants in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat yesterday morning.

Haviv Macabangen Maindan, poll officer in Maguindanao del Sur, died instantly from multiple gunshot wounds, according to Capt. Jetro Doligas, chief of the Lambayong police.

Maindan was in his car on the way to the town proper when motorcycle-riding men attacked him.