Poll exec ‘disappointed’ over ‘slow’ preps for barangay, SK polls

An election commissioner on Saturday expressed disappointment over the “slow" preparations for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said he is disappointed over the slow action from the poll body’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) in procuring ballots and ballot boxes needed for the grassroot elections on October 25.
“Honestly, with this slow performance of the BAC and these problems cropping up, I think the consequence is, [there’s that disappointment by] Comelec," he said in an interview aired on Saturday on QTV’s “Balitanghali." Sarmiento earlier aired concerns over the high spoilage of official ballots from the upcoming polls, which forced the Comelec to order additional ballot papers worth P14.5 million. (See: Comelec to probe high printing spoilage of ballots for Oct 25 polls) BAC chairman Ferdinand Rafanan, for his part, attributed the delayed preparations to changes in the Comelec’s timetable for the poll preparations. “Is it our fault that we received the instructions only on September 20? Is it our fault that we received only the specifications of the ballot paper on September 20 when the election is on October 25?" he said in separate interview. Rafanan added that the BAC has been working “very quickly" despite the “time limitations imposed" on the committee. The Comelec en banc will discuss possible solutions to the problem of lack of ballots and ballot boxes in their next meeting, Sarmiento said.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV