TACLOBAN CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the region is ramping up its final preparations to ensure a smooth and orderly conduct of the upcoming national midterm elections, according to Regional lawyer Krishna Athena Elardo.
Elardo reported that the deployment of vote counting machines (VCMs) to various schools designated as polling precincts across the region is already underway and expected to be completed by Monday, May 12, election day.
“All official ballots have already been delivered 100% to the offices of the municipal and city treasurers,” Elardo said, adding that technical hubs have been set up to troubleshoot any potential issues that may arise during the elections.
The commission has conducted coordination meetings with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to ensure the technical hubs are properly manned and operational.
Last Tuesday, May 6, the Comelec also held simultaneous final testing and sealing of VCMs across the region to confirm their functionality before election day.
A total of 5,607 VCMs are scheduled for deployment across Eastern Visayas, with additional backup machines on standby in case of technical glitches during the voting process.
“With all preparations in place, our office is more than ready for the conduct of the elections,” Elardo assured.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
