ALL is set in Pangasinan for the mid-term automated polls on May 13 with election workers, security forces, and the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in place around the province’s 44 towns and four cities.

The final coordinating conference was held last week attended by election officers, top officials from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), police chiefs and other deputized government agencies that form the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center chaired by Lawyer Marino Salas, provincial elections supervisor.

Salas told the media Wednesday that all the PCOS machines and election paraphernalia had been delivered to the 2,364 voting precincts. Before delivery, the machines were tested and sealed.

The 15 found to be defective were immediately replaced with PCOS contingent units and the request for the replacement of the contingent unites had been filed to ensure that further replacements can be made promptly in case other problems arise on election day.

Each PCOS machine will be manned by three personnel.

Pangasinan has been assigned 1,188 PCOS technicians and 50 PCOS supervisors to handle the machines, 240 police personnel and 210 AFP soldiers to augment the provincial police force in securing the polling precinct centers.

Salas said winners in the city and municipal level would be proclaimed within 24 hours while those for provincial posts will be within 48 hours.

Salas also reported that the Commission on Elections provincial office was swamped with vote-buying complaints from opposing camps but no evidence was presented.

Salas made a final appeal to candidates to “respect election laws and respect the rights of voters”.—Eva Visperas

Back to Homepage

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments