Comelec starts distributing vote machines today

ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start distributing to Iloilo towns and this city today vote counting machines (VCMs) and voter’s registration verification machines (VRVMs).

According to Comelec regional director Jose Nick Mendros, courier LBC Express was contracted to do the delivery.

A total of 2,572 VCMs and 2,572 VRVMs would be distributed.

Mendros yesterday inspected the warehouse in Barangay Lapayon, Leganes, Iloilo where the machines were being kept. Members of the press were invited to ensure transparency.

The VCMs and VRVMs would be delivered by districts in the following order:

* 5th District (May2)

* 4th District (May 3)

* 3rd District (May 4)

* 2nd District (May 5)

* 1st District (May 6)

Guimaras’ 169 VCMs would be delivered on May 3, said Mendros.

It won’t be getting VRVMs as it is not a pilot area for these, he explained.

In Region 6, Comelec has chosen only Iloilo City and province, Negros Occidental including Bacolod City to pilot-test VRVMs on May 13, election day.

The distribution of VCMs and VRVMs in other provinces of the region would also start soon, said Mendros.

He assured the public there won’t be any mix-up.

“Kung makikita ninyo lahat ng machines mayroon mga label. So alam na nila kung saan dadalhin,” Mendros.

The VCMs and VRVMs would be delivered to city and municipal election offices where final testing and sealing would be conducted on May 9 and 10.

Mendros also said Comelec Region 6 has a contingency plan just in case the machines malfunction. For Iloilo province it has 261 extra machines and for the city, 37.

The official ballots, on the other hand, would be arriving from the Comelec central office on May 4, said Mendros./PN

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