Manila, Philippines — Nearly two million ballots for voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao have been printed without the security markings off the National Printing Office (NPO). An NPO source confirmed that the ARMM-bound ballots for the May 10 elections had no NPO security features.
The NPO employee said there was a plan to put NPO markings, but the machines encountered problems at the start of the printing for the ARMM batch. The NPO source also noted that the ones printed after the ARMM batch, the 8.5-inch by 25-inch ballots that will be used for the rest of the country, were given NPO marks.
However, NPO Director General Servando Hizon said he did not know of such reports. According to him, all questions about the printing should be directed to the COMELEC. “Everything about the printing, you should ask the COmelec. That’s the rules given to us.” Hizon said in a phone interview.
Smartmatic-TIM company could also not be interviewed as their officials’ phones could not be reached.