Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal on Thursday, March 17, expressed elation over Commission on Elections’ (Comelec’s) decision to allow random sampling of ballots which have been printed without the presence of candidates’ observers.

On March 15, Macalintal held a press conference and called out the Comelec for printing the ballots without the presence of candidates’ observers, saying such act of the poll body is an “unforgivable disservice to the electorate.”

As such, he has asked the poll body to conduct a random testing of the said printed ballots.

In an interview with ANC, Macalintal said he “immediately wrote a letter to the Comelec telling them that in order to be more transparent in this particular activity of the Comelec, a random sampling of the ballots should be undertaken.”

“At natutuwa naman kami sapagkat ito ay pinagbigyan ng Comelec (And we are elated that Comelec allowed this),” he said.

He attributed such development to newly-appointed Comelec Comm. George Erwin M. Garcia, saying “that’s they beauty of having a Comelec commissioner who is an election practitioner.”

“Comm. George Garcia knows what he is talking about, what he is doing, and he knows the concerns and the needs of all political parties and candidates,” Macalintal added.

First time with no observers

Macalintal said this is the very first instance that observers of candidates and political parties were prohibited to witness the printing of official ballots.

“Since the very first time we had an election, witnesses are always allowed to observe the proceedings of the Committee on Printing. This is the very first time that we had an incident like this,” the veteran election lawyer noted.

According to him, they were surprised that political parties and candidates had no representation during the start of the printing of ballots.

“We were informed by the Commission on Elections in a letter sent to us by the executive director of the Comelec that the reason why we were not advised of the printing of the ballots is because of the current pandemic,” Macalintal said.

“But, we told the Comelec that while we understand this particular situation, the political parties should have been advised before it already started the printing of this ballot,” he added.

The veteran poll lawyer said that the Comelec should have informed candidates and political parties about the printing of ballots so that they were able to employ necessary measures.

“We could have prepared for this, we could have undertaken specific action go protect our rights and interest. But, sabi nga nila nandoon na ‘yon (as what they say, it’s already done), so we had this compromise with Comelec, and we are glad we are being given this chance to have this sampling of the ballots,” said Macalintal.

Random sampling

The poll lawyer said he has asked the Comelec to make an inventory of the ballots which have been already printed “and the places involved in this printed ballot.”

Macalintal said they also requested the poll body to allow them to use ultraviolet lights to check the security features of the official ballots which have been printed with observers.

“Also, to dispel any rumor that some ballots have already been preshaded by invisible marks para daw to favor certain candidates,” he said.

Earlier, Macalintal said at least two or three ballots should be randomly selected per municipality.