Workers conduct the the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) of Ballots, Local Absentee Voting (LAV) Ballots, Overseas Voting (OV) Ballots, Official Ballots (OB) for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and CARAGA, BARMM Parliamentary Election Ballots, and Mock Election Ballots at the National Printing Office, North Diliman, Quezon City on January 15, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) said they have already printed 60 percent of the ballots needed for the upcoming 2025 Midterm Elections.

COMELEC Chairman George Garcia expects the printing to be done by March 20.

"Sa 72 million lumalabas meron na tayong more or less lumalabas na 44 million na naiimprenta na namin at ang aming timeline more or less baka hanggang March 20 ay matatapos po natin ang imprenta ng balota," he said in a interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo, Sunday night.

"'Yun namang verification ng ating mga balota, manual at automated verification ay ating matatapos more or less April 14 naman."

Garcia said they managed to keep themselves on track despite a series of temporary restraining ordered they faced in relation to the official list of candidates.

"Dahil sa mga naiset up na strategy at contingency measures, kumabaga nakagawa kami ng paraan na maka-average kami ng 1.5 million hanggang 1.7 million na balota per day," he said.

READ: Comelec resumes ballot printing after delays

READ: Comelec eyes completion of ballot printing by March

ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

Meanwhile, Garcia said he is counting on the local level to go after political candidates putting up campaign materials beyond the designated areas.

The COMELEC has previously conducted "Oplan Baklas" to take down illegal campaign posters and tarpaulins at the start of the 90-day campaign period.

"Ang ipinakita natin nung simula ay highly symbolic na talagang hindi naming papayagan na illegally posted campaign materials," he said.

"Yung mga sumunod an araw hindi na kami nagpapaikot Ikot para tanggalin ng mga pinaglalagay nila kaya sila'y ating sinusulatan... 'yung mga local Comelec natin ay sumusulat sa mga kandidato na may pagkakalaking taurpaulin o campaign materials na nasa maling lugar. Sila po ay kanya kanya nang patanggal."

Anyone who fails to follow the order will face charges or be disqualified from running.

"Kinakailangan makapagturo ayo ng leksyon by filing cases against them," he said.

In the case of local candidates, whose campaign period will begin on March 28, Garcia said he will leave it to the hands of the local government units. 

"Dapat yung mga LGU ang mga papatupad ng kanilang ordinansa sa mga iligal na mga materyales," said Garcia.

RELATED VIDEO: