THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to commence with the printing of the official ballots for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) in August, Elections Commissioner Rey Bulay said yesterday.
In an interview, Bulay said an estimated 2.3 million to 2.5 million ballots will be printed for the October 13 parliamentary elections to be held at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“Aside from the official ballots, we will also print those to be used for the road show and trainings,” he also said.
In an online program by the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), Comelec – BARMM Director Ray Sumalipao said they are set to hold the first command conference for the BPE on June 25.
Comelec officials will discuss with officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) the security preparations for the forthcoming poll exercise.
“We are inviting everyone, all stakeholders, involved agencies, and special committees with responsibilities in the coming elections in our first command coordinating conference on June 25,” Sumalipao said.
He said that among the matters to be discussed is the tapping of PNP personnel to serve as Special Electoral Board (SEB) members anew.
“All of those who functioned under the PNP as SEBs will still be utilized for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections,” said the Comelec Regional Election Director (RED).
He said they will also discuss the situations in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur, both of which were placed under Comelec control prior to the May 12 midterm polls.
He said they also want to discuss the creation of a Regional Committee on Kontra Bigay, which would be tasked to monitor vote buying and abuse of state resources activities.
“Just like in the recently-concluded midterm polls, we foresee that this will be a big help in giving everybody the opportunity to vote according to their conscience and without the influence in whatever form,” said Sumalipao.
