Poll body starts deploying counting machines

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday started the deployment of automated counting machines (ACMs) to be used in the May 12 midterm elections.

In an interview, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the first batch consists of 3,700 ACMs from the poll body’s warehouse in Biñan, Laguna, which will be dispatched to three hubs in Mindanao – Iligan City, Kidapawan City and Zamboanga City.

“It is important that the schedule of delivery (of the ACMs) is followed since there are only 49 days left before election day,” Garcia said, adding that the local Comelec personnel will just get the machines from these hubs.

The Iligan City hub will accommodate ACMs for Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur and Iligan City; the Kidapawan City hub is where machines for Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Cotabato City will be stored.

Meanwhile, the Zamboanga City hub will cover those for Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga City.

“We are deploying first those for regions that are far. Those regions that are closer will come later,” Garcia said.

The official said they are looking to complete the deployment of ACMs before the start of the final testing and sealing of the voting machines which will be conducted six days before elections.

Under the Poll Automation Law, there must be a final examination and testing of the machines to be used in each polling precinct.

According to the Comelec, 110,000 ACMs, including the contingency machines, are set to be deployed for the elections.