Comelec postpones reprinting of ballots to include Francis Leo Marcos

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it is postponing the reprinting of ballots, initially scheduled on Wednesday, 22 January.

This after the Supreme Court (SC) issued temporary restraining order (TRO) against Comelec's decision to declare Francis Leo Marcos a nuisance candidate.

Similarly, Noel Rosal, running for Albay governor, also received a TRO.

The SC also ordered Comelec to include Marcos and Rosal's name on the ballots.

In a message to reporters, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia confirmed the poll body will immediately follow the SC's order.

"Mauna po Francis Leo sa numbering (Francis Leo Marcos will go first in the numbering)," Garcia said.

The Comelec has yet to announce the new printing date.

Despite the two-week delay, Garcia reassured the public that the elections will proceed on schedule, looking to finish the printing of all ballots by 14 April.

The High Court recently issued a decision favoring a nuisance candidate, causing a delay in the printing of official ballots.

On 14 January, the SC blocked Comelec's move to declare Subair Guinthum Mustapha a nuisance candidate and was later included in the list of senatorial candidates.

The ballot printing, which began on 6 January, did not include his name.

As a result, the poll body discarded six million ballots for the upcoming polls that did not include Mustapha's name, leading to a P132 million financial loss.