ILOILO City – All vote counting machines to be used in Iloilo City’s first-ever mall voting passed the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) final testing and sealing (FTS), ensuring that the automated election system is fully functional and ready for the May 12 midterm elections.
The successful simulation was conducted on May 5 at Festive Walk Mall in Mandurriao district, one of four designated mall voting sites in the city.
The FTS is a mandatory pre-election activity to confirm the operational integrity of vote counting machines (VCMs) and the readiness of election paraphernalia.
Comelec Iloilo City election officer Atty. Pinky Tentativa reported that all three Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) assigned to the Festive Walk site performed flawlessly during the trial run.
“All are working. There were no glitches encountered,” Tentativa said. “The voters who participated in the mock poll were able to feed their ballots, receive receipts, and observe the machines generate accurate election returns.”
Approximately 2,500 voters from Barangay Airport, Mandurriao are expected to vote at Festive Walk on election day. This pilot mall voting initiative is part of Comelec’s broader effort to enhance accessibility and convenience for urban voters.
Tentativa assured the public of strict security protocols in place.
“The machines are now sealed and stored in designated facilities within the mall, secured 24/7 by the Philippine National Police and mall security, and monitored by CCTV as per our agreement with the mall management,” she said.
Citywide, Comelec Iloilo will deploy 417 ACMs across 66 voting centers, corresponding to 417 clustered precincts.
Tentativa clarified that only on election day will the ACMs transmit the results to the central servers, after printing nine copies of the election returns.
“There’s no manual transmission involved in the FTS. Everything will be online, automated, and transparent once the polls close,” she emphasized.
The remaining three mall voting venues in Iloilo City are scheduled to undergo their respective FTS on May 7.
Tentativa encouraged the public to have confidence in the automated system.
“This process shows that the machines are ready, the system is secure, and the results are verifiable,” she said. “Transparency and integrity remain at the heart of this election.”/PN
