321 ballot boxes remain unclaimed

CEBU, Philippines – A day after the elections and winners were proclaimed, 321 of the 480 ballot boxes remained at the Cebu Provincial Treasurer's Office, unclaimed.

Cleofe Gonzaga, administrative officer and officer-in-charge of the Provincial Treasurer Office, said yesterday that it was already too late for the election officers of the towns to claim these from the Provincial Capitol.

"Kanang mga ballot boxes gi-request na sya sa mga municipal treasurer but wala nila kuhaa kay tungod ila na lang gigamit ang karaan nga ballot boxes nga naa sa ilang munisipyo," Gonzaga explained. (They ended up using the old ballot boxes stored in their municipal halls.)

Although many election officers sent them requests for ballot boxes, only the election officers of the island town of Sta. Fe in Bantayan and the southern town of Argao claimed their ballot boxes from the Capitol.

Poll officers had complained of the delay in the arrival of election supplies from the Central Office.

In fact, Cebu Provincial Election Officer Lionel Marco Castillano said, it was the first time they encountered receiving the official ballots only a day before the elections.

Some had to make improvised ballots. The delay in the delivery of supplies from Manila not only inconvenienced the board of election inspectors but also the voters, as many precincts did not open at 7 a.m. as scheduled.

Gonzaga and many other officials considered the elections messy, though generally peaceful, because of the delay of the ballot boxes, official ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan, election returns forms, indelible ink, paper and metal seals and others.

Gonzaga said that the election-related task of the Provincial Treasurer's Office ended yesterday.

"The inventory of the election paraphernalia is the task of the municipal treasurer and we will not interfere with it," said Gonzaga.

As of now, Gonzaga said, they can breathe a sigh of relief as their task ended.

They just have to find a place to store the unclaimed ballot boxes. (FREEMAN)