The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is investigating reports of pre-shaded ballots found in Maluso, Basilan during the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections. Comelec Chair George Garcia says the commission issues 16 subpoenas related to the incident and is working through its investigation process.
According to Comelec, more than 16,000 pre-shaded ballots were found in 36 of 69 precincts in Maluso on Sept. 14. After discovering the ballots, Comelec stops their distribution and orders their retrieval, then follows a “chain of custody” to determine who handled or distributed the ballots. Outlets also report that Comelec is building an electoral sabotage case linked to the incident.
While the accounts emphasize different aspects—some highlight the subpoena issuance, others focus on the broader investigation and the number of ballots found—each source describes the same core actions: discovery of pre-shaded ballots, immediate halt and retrieval, and an ongoing Comelec probe into possible wrongdoing.
