Wet ballot boxes now in a warehouse

CEBU, Philippines - After two days, the Cebu City treasurer's office has finished transferring ballot boxes from the City Hall grounds to a nearby warehouse.

Ballots from the north district were first to be transported Saturday while those from the south district followed yesterday.

City treasurer Emma Villarete said a total of 591 boxes were successfully transferred to protect the ballots inside from damage.

One box was sent to the Commission on Elections for the random manual audit, she said, adding that her office will confirm this with Comelec today.

"We transferred them to a container van and our warehouse to prevent it from heat and rain exposure sa gawas," Villarete told The FREEMAN.

The boxes were initially stored under tents at the Plaza Sugbo right in front of City Hall, now they are in a warehouse beside the La Nueva grocery, just near City Hall.

"It will remain at its storage until such time that there will be an order or directive from Comelec," Villarete said.

Watchers and representatives from both Team Rama and Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan witnessed the transfer.

Following reports of ballots that got wet due to rains, BOPK chairman and outgoing south district Representative Tomas Osmeña said better care should have been taken.

"The boxes were stored in a straight line. The tents were installed in a straight line. But the tents were not a single long piece. It was several square tents. When it rains the water would fall on four sides of each tent so the boxes stored under the gaps between tents got wet," he said.

BOPK has filed an election protest against Team Rama after Mayor Michael Rama beat Osmeña for Cebu City mayor during the last elections.

Team Rama legal counsel Jocelyn Pesquera said it is better for the boxes to remain where they are for now.

"I still have to read the observation report from our watchers. But generally it is better that the ballot boxes are placed in a secured warehouse to protect the ballots. Also, I was informed that one ballot box contained a PCOS machine," she said.  — (FREEMAN)