Comelec to hold mock elections in schools on Saturday

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold a mock election on Feb. 6 in nine schools across the country to simulate the actual election day.

In a press briefing, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the mock polls would involve 6,909 registered voters who have been pre-selected.

“It encompasses the three major islands – Luzon Visayas and Mindanao… We’ll simulate the process of voting, counting, canvassing which includes transmission. In the field tests, the focus was transmission. Now it will be the whole process,” Larrazabal noted.

For Metro Manila, the mock polls will be held in New Era Elementary School in Tandang Sora Ave., New Era, Quezon City; Maharlika Elementary School in Maharlika Village, Taguig City and Gen. Ricardo Papa Memorial High School in Barangay Tuktukan, Tuktukan, Taguig City.

The other sites are Pines City National High School in Palma St, Barangay City Camp Central and Community Youth Center in City Camp Proper, both in Baguio City; Bulacao Community School in Villa Manga, Bulacao and Mabini Elementary School in Sitio Prope, Mabini, both in Cebu City; Alejandra Navarro Elementary School in Lasang and Generoso Elementary School in Bago Aplaya, both in Davao City.

Voters may cast their votes from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., the same time the actual voting will run on May 10.

After this, the ballots will be counted by the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines used in the training programs and then transmitted to city and municipal halls serving as canvassing centers.

And after the ballots have been canvassed, they will be transmitted to the Comelec data base in the central office.

Asked why these areas have been chosen, Larrazabal said that the voting population of each clustered precinct in the schools is more than 500, except for the one in Mabini in Cebu.

The Comelec will use ballots bearing the names of Filipino heroes, former government officials and local bands as candidates.

Larrazabal added that one PCOS machine will be used in a precinct to be manned by teachers who would serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) on election day. 

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Director for Operations Andres Caro II has ordered respective regional and provincial joint security control centers (JSCCs) to provide security to the polling areas involved in the mock polls. – Sheila Crisostomo, Dino Balabo, Rainier Allan Ronda and Mike Frialde