MARAWI CITY -- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) tested and sealed a total of 150 Vote Counting Machines (VMCs) that will be used in national and local elections (NLE).
Such was conducted to ensure that the machines will operate well on May 9 this year
During the testing and sealing, City Election Officer Lawyer Norfaisa Paglala-Manduyog firmly reminded the participating Electoral Board (EB) members to not ever write-protect the VCMs as this may result in being unfunctional in the election proper especially since there is no contingency VCMs.
She stressed that these should only be write-protected on the day of elections.
However, if the instruction is unintentionally not followed, the Commission guaranteed that it will find a way for it to be resolved.
Manduyog assured they will find appropriate remedies in case there will be untoward technical glitches on the machines during the NLE.
“The Commission will make a way na makaboto pa rin because it is our purpose talaga na makaboto lahat ng mga botante dito sa Marawi City [it is really our purpose that all voters here in Marawi City can really vote]… Together with our partners, especially the Department of Education (DepEd), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at [and] Philippine National Police (PNP), that is our very goal which is to conduct safe, secured, accurate, and fair elections 2022,” she said.
Other than technical matters, the city election officer also posted reminders on the flow of the elections such as their final designation or polling assignment which can be determined only with the COMELEC appointment.
She said they prepared seven routes that will accordingly guide the EBs to have an orderly distribution and transportation of VCMs and ballot boxes to their respective polling precincts.
She also emphasized that EBs must stay non-partisan.
With all these, the COMELEC here is optimistic that this year’s NLE will go on smoothly as desired with the DepEd underscoring that all their involved public teachers are prepared to bear their election duties and responsibilities.
We assure you, in the Department of Education, that these EBs who shall be performing their mandates on May 9 are all trained, equipped and capable of letting honest, peaceful and orderly elections prevail,” said Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Anna Zenaida Unte-Alonto.
As per the COMELEC’s record, there are at least 79,244 registered voters in the city clustered in 150 polling precincts in 33 polling centers. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)
No comments