The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced a partial termination of its contract with Miru Systems Co. Ltd., a South Korean election service provider, specifically concerning the printing of ballots for the upcoming May 12 elections. Comelec Chairperson George Garcia explained that the decision to split the printing responsibilities with the National Printing Office (NPO) aims to expedite the process.
The decision was made public during a press conference held before the commencement of ballot reprinting at the NPO in Quezon City. Garcia highlighted that the collaboration would involve Miru’s two HP printers and NPO’s four Canon printers, with a combined daily output target of 1.5 million ballots. Previously, Miru alone was capable of printing around 950,000 ballots daily.
The NPO’s Canon printers are tasked with producing 35,881,871 ballots, covering various categories including mock polls, overseas voting, and ballots for specific regions such as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and several others. Meanwhile, Miru’s HP printers will handle the printing of 72,126,633 ballots, designated for local absentee voting and regions like Batanes, Bicol, and the National Capital Region.
Garcia noted that the allocation of printing tasks could be adjusted if necessary to ensure all ballots are printed correctly. Miru Systems expressed no objections to the partial termination, emphasizing their shared goal with Comelec and NPO to ensure a smooth election process.
NPO Director Revsee Escovedo detailed that 64 personnel would be involved daily in the printing process, working in two 12-hour shifts. Comelec plans to deploy 800 personnel to oversee the printing and verification of ballots using Miru’s machines, operating around the clock in day and night shifts.
The decision to reprint ballots comes after the Supreme Court issued temporary restraining orders that led to the disposal of six million initially printed ballots due to changes in candidate lists. Comelec remains committed to adhering to any further rulings from the Supreme Court while proceeding with the ballot printing.