Some Poll Materials Yet To Arrive: Delays hamper Preparations

CEBU, Philippines - Municipal treasurers and election officers in the Province of Cebu left empty-handed from the Capitol last night after waiting several hours for the election paraphernalia to arrive.

As of press time, only official ballots for the barangay elections arrived while the bulk of the paraphernalia are scheduled to arrive either last night or early today.

The paraphernalia that are yet to arrive include the official ballots for Sangguniang Kabataan, election returns forms, indelible ink, paper and metal seals, and thumb printers.

The Comelec Manila has advised the Provincial Treasurer’s Office that the election paraphernalia for Cebu will be loaded either in the last flight yesterday or in the first flight today.

The information has prompted most of the municipal treasurers and election officers to go home except those coming from the islands of Camotes and Bantayan.

Election officers and treasurers from the three towns of Camotes island, Daanbantayan, Argao and Sibonga have waited since Friday while the rest went to Capitol yesterday but all of them left empty-handed.

Some of them were complaining, especially those coming from the islands, because they have not brought enough personal belongings.

Cleofe Gonzaga, supervising officer of the office of the provincial treasurer, said those who stayed will first get the paraphernalia early this morning. Gonzaga said they have provided meals for those who stayed in their office.

Both offices of the Comelec and the provincial treasurer are in 24-hour operation since yesterday supposedly to ensure that all election paraphernalia are delivered on time.

Despite the delay, provincial election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano assured that all election paraphernalia will be at the polling precincts before 7:00 a.m. on Monday.

“I am one hundred percent sure all necessary items will be there,” Castillano said.

The delay in the arrival of the election paraphernalia however will not affect that much in Cebu City.

City treasurer Ofelia Oliva said they will start the distribution of election supplies and paraphernalia today to all 1,438 clustered precincts for barangay elections and 98 precincts for SK in Cebu City.

Over 4,300 Board of Election Inspectors are expected to flock to Plaza Sugbo starting 9 am today where the City Treasurer’s Office set up the distribution booths for the BEIs to claim the paraphernalia for their respective precinct assignments.

There will be 7 distribution booths for each north and south districts.

Oliva said the distribution was supposed to start yesterday for the North District precincts and today for the South District but due to delays in the delivery of supplies they were forced to do it simultaneously today.

According to Oliva, as of last night only the appointments of BEIs, official ballots for SK, carbon papers, official receipt of election returns, certificate of votes and paper seals have arrived.

Some of the lacking items include official ballots for regular voters, indelible ink, stamp pads, metal seal, and secrecy folders.

“We have to work overtime, binuntagay na gyud mi since Friday,” Oliva said.

The CTO used over 400 city hall employees, including those from different departments like the General Services Office and the Building Management and the Comelec Cebu City, for this election.

Those who worked overtime will receive their overtime pay after the approval of the P3.5 million budget for the overtime pay of employees which is part of the P18 million election reserve fund requested by the Comelec. —/FPL   (THE FREEMAN NEWS)