MANILA — The Supreme Court allowed senatorial candidate Francis Leo Marcos and Albay gubernatorial candidate Noel Rosal to participate in the 2025 national and local elections as another batch of temporary restraining orders (TROs) were issued against the Commission on Elections.

Supreme Court spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said a TRO was issued against the resolutions of the poll body which labeled Marcos as a nuisance candidate and revoked his certificate of candidacy.

In the case of Rosal, a TRO was issued to prevent the Comelec from implementing its resolution canceling his certificate of candidacy.

“These TROs, they enjoin, or prevent the Comelec from implementing the resolutions considering the candidates are either disqualified or a nuisance candidate, so that means they will have to be included in the ballot,” Ting said.

The high court asked the poll body to comment on the petitions of Marcos and Rosal within a non-extendible period of five days.

Asked how many more petitions were pending before the Supreme Court as the poll body encountered challenges in ballot printing, the Supreme Court said it has so far received 25 petitions for the national and local elections and 22 petitions for the party-list elections.

Twelve petitions have so far been resolved by the court with the issuance of TROs for Rosal, Marcos, Michael Rama, Jonas Cortes, Subair Guinthum Mustapha, Charles Savellano, Chito Bulatao Balintay, Edgar Erice, Florendo de Ramos Ritualo, Jr., Marie Grace David, Mary Dominique Oñate, Aldrin Sta. Ana.

“The Comelec should also be aware that in disqualifying candidates there is a big chance that these candidates are going to be bringing the issue before the Supreme Court and that the Supreme Court would need time to actually resolve their cases,” Ting said.

POSTPONED REPRINTING 

The Commission on Elections said it would postpone the Jan. 22 reprinting of ballots following the fresh TROs.

The Comelec earlier in the day said it had already generated new ballot face templates that included the names of candidates who last week secured SC temporary restraining orders against their disqualification.

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“The Comelec will always comply at this point with the Supreme Court directive. Supreme Court po 'yan, ginagalang natin at tayo rin ordinaryong mamamayan dapat tumatalima at sumusunod tayo sa Korte Suprema sapagkat part 'yan ng legal process at part yan ng tinatawag na rule of law,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia said.

“Kami ay naaapektuhan lang talaga nang mabigat kapag may national candidate sapagkat kailangan talagang baguhin lahat nang na-imprenta na balota kasi kung local, nakapag-imprenta ka na sa lugar na yun, yung lugar na lang yun ang pwede naming i-reprint,” he added.

Garcia again assured the public that election day would not be affected even with the 2-week delay in the ballot printing.

The poll body deputized the National Printing Office and would use its printers to catch up and expedite the printing process.

"Basta dapat mga dalawang linggo bago mag-eleksyon na distribute na ng Comelec lahat ng election paraphernalia sa buong Pilipinas. Bakit? Dahil meron po tayong final testing and sealing isang linggo bago mag-eleksyon,” Garcia said.

"Lahat ng makina na ipadadala sa buong bansa pati yung mga sampung balota sa bawat isang presinto ay susubukin, itetest sa bawat presinto ng mga electoral board members na maglilingkod kasama na rin po ang mga tunay na botante na boboto."

Garcia eyes finishing the printing of ballots by April 14.  

Meanwhile, Garcia said he was in favor of penalizing those who will file candidacy with the purpose of making a mockery of the polls.

“Hindi po ba bad faith yun and therefore dapat may criminal liability, kahit hindi pagkakulong, kahit man lang fine para kahit papaano maturuan natin ng leksyon… para kasing tumatakbo making a mockery of the electoral process,” Garcia said.

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