MANILA — Election paraphernalia prepared or procured for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in December would not go to waste should Congress postpone the vote, the poll chief said Saturday.

"Huwag pong mag-alala ang ating mga kababayan hindi po masasayang ang pera ninyo, hindi po maaaksaya dahil lahat po ng aming binili magagamit din naman po sa susunod na halalan," Commission on Elections chief George Garcia said.

He told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo that ballots would be properly stored at the National Printing Office and indelible inks wouldn't dry up for a year.

"Sinigurado ng ating bids and awards committee katulad po ng ballpen na makakapagsulat nang ilang kilometro. Katulad po ng mga balota na maiimprenta natin 'yan po ay iimbak namin sa National Printing Office kung saan mismo iimprenta ang mga balota," he said.

"Katulad po ng indelible ink sinigurado namin na ito'y hindi matutuyo nang isang buong taon at the same time 'yun pong iba pang election paraphernalia."

The Comelec will proceed with its preparations for the barangay and SK elections because of the absence of a law that postpones them.

"Kung anuman po ang mangyari sa ating Kongreso patungkol sa pag-postpone o pag-reset ng ating halalan basta ang Comelec ay handa sa December 5, 2022," Garcia said.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on second reading a bill postponing the barangay and SK elections by a year.

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Meanwhile, the National Printing Office is now ready to print the ballots, Garcia said, and it will be livestreamed for transparency. – TeleRadyo, September 17, 2022