Comelec stops printing of ballots for barangay, SK polls

The Commission on Elections has suspended indefinitely the printing of ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled for October.

This developed after the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday agreed to reset the said elections to October 23, 2017.

The poll body was supposed to resume the printing of some 85 million ballots on Thursday, after it announced the suspension earlier this week.

"Yes, we are postponing the ballot printing indefinitely already," Comelec chief Andres Bautista said.

"It looks like the decision of the political leadership is clear in respect of postponing the barangay and SK elections," he added.

Printing began on August 21, with a deadline slated on October 21. At least 411,000 ballots have so far been printed.

Bautista said the Comelec "deemed it prudent" to suspend the printing because of the "consensus" apparently reached by President Rodrigo Duterte and Congress.

Duterte changed his view on whether to proceed with the barangay and SK elections because of the possibility of "drug money" being used to fund the candidates' campaigns.

Both chambers are expected to file respective bills on the matter.

At the House , the measure is expected to be approved on second reading either on September 5 or 6, and on third and final reading on September 12.

On Thursday, the Comelec said it was planning to resume voter registration once the postponement of the October elections is enacted as a law. —NB, GMA News