By Katrina Gracia Consebido
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia on Thursday, Oct. 13, guaranteed that the five million ballots for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are all safe and secured.
Garcia assured the public of the ballots’ authenticity and the reliability of the poll results despite being postponed to October next year, saying that security features are in place.
“Maaari nilang gayahin ‘yung size o maaaring hitsura ng balota, pero meron po siyang ascending number na only the Bangko Sentral [ng Pilipinas] and the National Printing Office (NPO) can do,” he said.
“Meron pa rin po tayong secret markings doon sa balota. Ang inyo pong lingkod ay naglagay ng sariling secret marking na ako lang po ang nakakaalam,” he continued, adding that the NPO has done the same.
He also issued a warning against those planning to produce fake and forged ballots.
“[Malalaman] at malalaman po dahil we can always subpoenaed by the courts kapag may mga protesta,” he said.
Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco also assured that the area where the ballots are produced and stored is secure.
“Joint po ang security namin. Apat na klase po ang security ang magbabantay sa NPO,” Laudiangco said, referring to Comelec security, NPO security, and the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
It was announced on Wednesday that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law the measure postponing the BSKE polls to October 2023.
