The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has printed almost 30 million ballots for the upcoming midterm elections.

In a radio interview, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said the poll body will print over 72 million ballots through the National Printing Office (NPO).

Garcia said while the printed ballots represent 41 percent of the total needed for the national elections in May, the number of verified ballots was 5.5 million to six million only, Garcia said.

He said a ballot needs to undergo verification since it may have gotten errors during the printing process.

“Not every ballot printed is perfect. It is like money being printed, there will always be an error. Some may have been cut wrong, or have the wrong color, or have a smudge,” the poll chief said in Filipino.

This is why each ballot must undergo a two-level verification process — one done manually and the other through a machine, Garcia explained.

He said the Comelec has more than 1,000 NPO personnel who manually verify the ballots. If a ballot does not pass verification, it will be rejected by the machine.

Rejected or defective ballots are expected to be limited to seven to eight percent of the total, according to Garcia.

For every rejected ballot, a new one would need to be printed. The reprinted ballots will also be subjected to manual and machine verification.

“We cannot send ballots to a precinct with two or three pieces missing. We have to ensure that the right number of ballots is sent to each precinct. The teachers might even be suspected if there are missing ballots,” Garcia said.

The ballot printing, Garcia assured, will be completed by 14 April, less than a month before election day on 12 May.

RE to solve Mindanao woes

Makati Mayor and senatorial candidate Abby Binay said renewable energy could address the rising demand for power in Mindanao.

“I believe there is an opportunity for renewable energy — that is my advocacy,” Binay said in a press conference in Carmen, Davao del Norte.

Renewable sources such as solar, hydroelectric, and biomass now account for a small percentage of Mindanao’s power capacity.

Binay said solar and biomass make up only two percent of the capacity mix, as well as biomass and hydroelectric energy.

“And those are untapped potentials that Mindanao can be a source of to fill the demand for power,” she added.

Binay said renewable energy, particularly solar, would also address the lingering problem of electricity in last-mile schools.

“Maybe we should finish the last mile in the schools. And Mindanao should be one of those where the schools are completed,” she said in Filipino.

Last year, Mindanao’s business sector expressed concern that unless the government found new sources of energy, the region would experience a power crisis starting in 2027 or 2028.

Earlier, Binay proposed the tax-free importation of solar panels and other solar technologies and hardware. She also proposed incentives for households and businesses that switch to solar energy.

Make partylist system count

After election watchdog Kontra Daya revealed that 55 percent of partylist organizations running in the 2025 mid-term polls do not represent the marginalized sectors, calls to restore the integrity of the system are getting stronger.

“We stand firmly with Kontra Daya in their advocacy to restore the integrity of the partylist system and to ensure that it serves its true purpose — empowering the voiceless and uplifting the underserved communities,” a partylist group said in a statement.

“We recognize the importance of ensuring that the partylist system remains a platform for genuine public service and not a vehicle for political dynasties, big business, or self-serving interests. We echo Kontra Daya’s call for stricter measures in accrediting partylist groups to prevent the continued hijacking of the system by political and economic elites. In line with this, we also support proposed legislative reforms to amend Republic Act 7941, the Partylist System Act, to strengthen eligibility requirements and uphold the system’s integrity,” the partylist contender said.

According to a study by Kontra Daya, 55.13 percent, or 86 of 156 partylist groups seeking seats in the House of Representatives, do not represent the poor or the underrepresented.

“Our commitment is to champion the causes of digital equity, technological empowerment, and inclusive innovation, particularly for communities that remain underserved in the digital age,” the partylist contender stated.