THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will include the None of the Above (Nota) option in the official Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) ballots despite possible complications.
In an interview in Zamboanga City, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they decided to adhere to the provisions of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code regarding the Nota option by including it in the printing of official ballots.
"Nandiyan pa rin ang 'None of the Above' sa political parties at sa mga kandidato sa distrito," said Garcia.
(The "None of the Above" option is still there for political parties and district candidates.)
He reiterated that the commission still has to come up with a decision on how to deal with Nota votes come the October 13 polls.
"Wala pang desisyon ang Comelec patungkol sa issue ng 'None of the Above,' Ang katanungan at issue diyan ay ang 'none of the above' ba ay kandidato ganoong kasama siya sa pagpipilian?" said the poll chief.
(The Comelec has not yet decided on the issue of "None of the Above." The question and issue here is, is 'None of the Above' a candidate since it is included as an option?)
"Expect the Comelec na one or two days after the start of October, maglalabas ang Comelec ng ruling or position paano treat si none of the above for purposes of counting the none of the above votes," he added.
(Expect that one or two days after the start of October, the Comelec will issue a ruling or position on how to treat "None of the Above" for purposes of counting those votes.)
Garcia said they are just waiting for the position papers to be submitted by all the political parties in the Bangsamoro regarding the Nota issue.
"Sabi din ng parliamento ay plano nila mag-introduce ng amendments. Tingnan natin kung kaya nila gawin yan nitong September," said Garcia.
(The parliament also said they plan to introduce amendments. Let’s see if they can do that this September.)
The Bangsamoro Electoral Code states that there must be a "None of the Above" option in the official BPE Ballots "as far as practicable."
Article VII, Chapter 1, Section 14 states: “As far as practicable, the official ballots for the BPE shall include, aside from the name of all candidates, each candidate’s photo/logo and a ‘None of the Above’ option.”
This prompted the Comelec to call for a meeting with different stakeholders of the October 13 BPE to discuss the potential complications that could arise from the Nota option.
This is because the Bangsamoro Electoral Code and its Implementing Rules and Regulations do not provide clear guidance on the potential implications of “None of the Above” garnering majority votes on Election Day. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)