Manila, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) revealed on Thursday that more than ₱1 billion in government funds have gone to waste following the Supreme Court’s (SC) order to postpone the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections originally set for October 13.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the losses include ₱500 million spent on the printing of 2.3 million official ballots, alongside payments for service providers, rental of vote-counting machines, and transmission services.
“To my understanding, it will be ₱1 billion and above because kasama diyan ang printing ng balota at rental… maaaring nakapag-procure na tayo ng mga gamit,” Garcia told reporters. He explained that costs for rented equipment, particularly the machines, must still be paid despite the cancellation.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday voided Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts (BAA) 58 and 77, which outlined the distribution of parliamentary districts, for violating the Voter’s Registration Act. The ruling directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to pass a new redistricting law by October 30 and instructed Comelec to hold the elections no later than March 31, 2026.
Garcia admitted that the postponement has set back all preparations, noting that Comelec is now “back to zero.” He stressed that most election-related activities hinge on the enactment of a new districting law by the BTA.
“All preparations will have to start when there is already a law,” he said. “Maybe there are some that we can do that have no relation to the law, but most activities of the Comelec depend on how the districts will be allocated.”
The discarded ballots and related procurement contracts alone amount to about ₱1 billion in wasted funds, while additional “reverse logistics” costs will be incurred to retrieve election materials already deployed across Bangsamoro provinces, such as indelible ink and batteries.
Candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy in November 2024 will also need to refile under the new districting law, Garcia added. A new filing period could be scheduled by January 2026, depending on the passage of the BTA’s replacement measure.
Despite the setbacks, Garcia assured that Comelec will comply with the high court’s directive but warned that it will be “a race against time,” as preparations may effectively be squeezed into just three months.
“The Comelec will definitely comply,” Garcia said. “But it will be very challenging.”