Comelec to let gov't use PCOS generator sets, batteries for typhoon-hit Visayas

MANILA, Philippines -  Hundreds of generator sets and thousands of standby batteries supposedly for the precinct count optical (PCOS) machines will be used for the meantime in areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda that are still without electricity.

Commissions on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said they are releasing 700 generator sets and 80,000 standby batteries to the national government and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to aid the ongoing and rehabilitation efforts in Visayas.

"These generators & batteries can be a temporary source of electricity in the affected areas until power lines are restored," Brillantes said in his Twitter account.

In a phone-patch interview on ANC, Brillantes said the generators and batteries are not currently being used since there are no automated elections until 2016.

According to the latest data of the NDRRMC on Monday, power outage is still being experienced in some cities and municipalities in over 20 provinces.