By Leilanie Adriano/Philippine News Agency
LAOAG CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in this city is calling on registered voters to witness and participate in the final testing and sealing of the 112 vote counting machines (VCMs) to be used in the May 13 elections.
Laoag City election officer Leonila Fortuna on Tuesday said that they will start delivering the vote counting machines to the different polling centers in the city on Thursday (May 9).
“On May 10 at 10 a.m., we are inviting the public to join us in the testing and sealing of the VCMs in their respective polling precincts,” Fortuna said.
She added they have prepared at least 10 sample ballots for the Friday activity to ensure that the machines can correctly count.
After the casting of votes by the 10 selected participants, she explained these will be counted manually and then it will be compared to the results produced by the machines.
Of the total 112 polling places in Laoag City, the Comelec has assigned one VCM per precinct with additional 11 VCMs which will be used as replacement in case a machine will malfunction during the voting.
After the testing, the Comelec will then seal and lock the VCMs, and these should not be opened again until the start of polls.
Meanwhile, the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO) on Tuesday has started deploying their personnel to the different polling centers in the province.
In a send-off ceremony held at the Camp Valentin S. Juan, this city, Col. Cesar Pasiwen, Provincial Director of the INPPO, reiterated the police mandate to ensure safe and fair conduct of the May 13 elections.
Augmentation groups from the Police Regional Office, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other friendly forces likewise attended the program.
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