13 milyong balota naimprenta na

Halos P40 milyon na ang nagastos ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) para sa October 23, 2017 Barangay at Sangguniang Kabataan polls.

Ito ay para lamang sa pagiimprenta ng 13 milyong balota. Mag-iimprenta ang Comelec ng 60 milyong balota para sa halalan sa Oktubre.

“The cost per ballot is P3. So, if you are already at 13M ballots, then that’s P39 milion spent. That’s just on ballots,” paliwanag ni Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez sa press briefing nitong Biyernes.

“We are also spending for setting up of trainings of Board of Election Tellers (BETs), Barangay Boards of Canvassers. We are also getting ready for the refurbishing of ballot boxes, getting ready to print other forms,” dagdag niya.

Sinabi ng Comelec na patuloy itong maghahanda para sa halalan sa Oktubre dahil hindi pa rin nakakapagpasya ang Kongreso kung ipagpapaliban o hindi ang halalan.

“I think it is more prudent to continue and then later on find a way to mitigate the expenses,” anang Jimenez.

Ipinaliwanag niya na hindi naman masasayang ang mga naimprentang balota sakaling hindi matuloy ang halalan ngayong taon.

“Example a resolution could be passed saying that the 13 million ballots dated October 23, 2017 shall be useable for the barangay elections on whatever date. That can be done,” anang Jimenez.

Ang problema aniya ay sa pagiimbak ng mga ito.

“That 13 million might be reduced due to storage loss either it got wet because of rain or it was eaten by rats whatever...I dont know what will happen in storage, but that 13 million I doubt that it will be a 100 percent available when the elections are going to take place,” anang Jimenez.