Comelec faces tight timeline in May 2019 polls preparation

The Commission on Elections is working with a tight timeline as it prepares for the conduct of the May 2019 polls, spokesperson James Jimenez said Monday.

Jimenez said that the printing of ballots cannot proceed just yet with two weeks left before the campaign period for those running for a Senate seat starts, since there are disqualification cases yet to be resolved by the poll body.

Comelec is seeking to perpetually disqualify former senator Serge Osmeña III from running in public office due to alleged failure to file his Statement of Contributions and Expenses (SOCE) during his 2010 and 2016 Senate bids.

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio is asking the Comelec to disqualify Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III for supposedly breaching the Constitutional provision of limiting a senator’s tenure to two consecutive terms.

“I would not go as far as saying that we will experience significant delays, but the timetable is getting really tight. In every day that we wait, we are cutting down our buffer. Of course, we expect that this tight timeline will exert pressure on the process [involving the disqualifications cases],” Jimenez said.

“That [tight timeline] is the reason why our people are in the [National Printing Office] almost 24 hours a day so that when things move along and we get to start printing the ballots, things will be smooth sailing and we would be able to keep distractions at the minimum,” he added.

Jimenez also pointed out that the unresolved cases would open the poll body to criticism, rightly or wrongly.

“If that decision is hanging over everyone’s head there would be complaints like…I did not campaign because I was not sure if I am a candidate, or I lost because the Comelec was not able to guarantee my candidacy...we will open to accusations of not doing our jobs, so the most logical timeline is for the ballots to be immediately printed,” Jimenez said.

The Comelec spokesperson added that the commission is likely to proceed with the printing of ballots by February 2 even if these cases are not yet resolved.

In the event that the ballots have been printed and the Comelec decides to disqualify Pimentel or Osmeña or both, Jimenez said that a remedy is available for Pimentel, with the votes cast for him going to the candidate named as his substitute.

“Kung nag-piprint na ng ballots and they were disqualified, then a notice will go out. Since one [of them] is running under a political party, it is possible that he will be substituted since the Comelec rules state that candidates can be substituted after November 29 [2018] if they belong to a political party in cases of disqualification or death,” Jimenez pointed out.

Pimentel belongs to ruling party PDP-Laban.

Still, Jimenez said that there is no need to press the panic button just yet.

“Imagine, all of the ballots are precinct specific.  At hindi uniform ang laman ng ballots. Magkakaiba ang bilang ng Sangguniang Bayan members, iba iba ang pangalan ng kandidato sa mayor at iba pang kandidato sa local post. Ayaw rin natin madaliin because if we rush this part, we could be predisposing error in printing,” he said.

“Mas madali i-correct; mabago ‘yung proseso kesa ‘yung naimprenta ng balota,” Jimenez added. — BM, GMA News