COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is on its final test Saturday of the vote-counting machines (VCMs) to be used in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
This, as the region makes the concluding preparations for its historic parliamentary elections on Monday, September 14.
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Comelec Chairman George Garcia said all VCMs assigned to BARMM’s 5,212 polling precincts will undergo final testing and sealing on the 12th of September to ensure that the machines are functioning properly and accurately counting votes before they are deployed for election day.
“Susubukan po natin ‘yung lahat ng makina kung gumagana, bumibilang ba ng tama,” Garcia said in an interview.
The final testing and sealing is a crucial part of the poll body’s preparations, allowing election officials to detect defective machines and arrange for their repair or replacement before voting begins.
Garcia said the exercise will also help verify that the machines contain no unauthorized programs or instructions that could affect the integrity of the voting and counting process.
“Mas mahirap po kasi kung ang makina ay doon mo pa lang susubukan sa mismong araw ng eleksyon,” he said.
Representatives of political parties, candidates, poll watchers, citizens’ arms and civil society organizations are expected to witness the testing and sealing as part of Comelec’s transparency and election-integrity measures.
The final technical preparations come as BARMM braces for its first parliamentary elections, which will determine the members of the region’s first elected Parliament and mark a major step in its transition from the current transition authority to a fully elected parliamentary government.
The September 14 polls are also being closely watched nationally because of their significance to the Bangsamoro peace process, with national leaders describing the elections as a milestone in the region’s long transition toward self-governance.
Special Assistant to the President Anton Lagdameo said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has described the elections as the “fruition” of decades of peace efforts in the Bangsamoro.
Lagdameo likewise called the polls “a historic moment not just for the region but for the entire nation,” underscoring their importance in strengthening democratic institutions and sustaining the gains of the peace process.
With the VCM testing and sealing set for today, the Comelec is moving into the final stretch of preparations for Monday’s vote, as BARMM takes another significant step toward its new parliamentary form of government under the Bangsamoro Organic Law. (Contributed story)