Labor group files petition to suspend ballot printing for Eleksyon 2025

A labor organization has filed a petition with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) seeking to suspend the printing of official ballots for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).

The National Confederation of Labor (NCL) wants to suspend the printing to allow the Comelec to "clean up the list of candidates by removing fake and unqualified candidates," preventing a situation similar to that of former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.

"I am asking the COMELEC to clean up the list of candidates by removing fake and unqualified candidates, to prevent incidents like the one involving Alice Guo, also known as Guo [Hua] Ping, a Chinese citizen who filed her candidacy and won as mayor despite her Chinese citizenship," NCL spokesperson Ernesto Arellano said in his petition, which was filed with the poll body on Tuesday, December 12.

"Specifically, I am requesting that all candidates be required to submit a certified true copy of their birth certificate and a certificate of no criminal record from the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation]," added Arellano, who is seeking a senatorial seat next year.

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) filed a quo warranto petition against Guo for the cancellation of her birth certificate. The OSG had cited the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that Guo has the same fingerprints as Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping.

In August, the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed and perpetually disqualified Guo from public office.

Loyalty check?

Meanwhile, Arellano also questioned the candidacies of aspirants with dual citizenship, asking if their loyalty is with the Philippines, especially "amid the foreign powers encroaching the country’s territorial waters."

"Kapag maulit ang insidenteng ito, mailalagay naman tayo ngayon sa palad ng alanganin. Ang ating mga fishermen sa ating karagatan ay hinaha-harass, ini-intimidate, sinasaktan ng mga dayuhan," he said in an interview with reporters.

(If another Alice Guo incident will happen, we will be on the losing edge. Our fishers are being harassed and intimidated.)

"Ayaw namin na sa pamamagitan nang hindi masusing pag-examine ng COC, masingitan tayo uli ng mga traydor," he added.

(We don't want another traitor to be able to join the elections.)

Last October, the Comelec filed a material misrepresentation case against Guo for allegedly violating Section 74 of the Omnibus Election Code when she filed her certificate of candidacy for mayor in the 2022 polls.

Guo recently pleaded not guilty to the charge before the Capas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 66.

Sought for his comment on the NCL petition, Garcia said printing the 73 million ballots required for the 2025 elections is not an easy task and the Comelec cannot exclude a candidate from the ballot without a proper case filed against them.

"Hindi pupuwedeng mangyari 'yun nang walang kaso na naka-file laban sa isang kandidato. Bakit naman tayo hihinto sa ating preparasyon?" said Garcia.

(We cannot exclude them if there's no case against them. Why would we stop with our preparations?)

The Comelec will start printing of ballots on January 6, 2025. — VDV, GMA Integrated News