VCMs ready for final testing, sealing today

CEBU, Philippines - All 7,048 vote counting machines for the provinces in Central Visayas, including Negros Oriental, were safely delivered yesterday to various cities and municipalities in the region for the final testing and sealing today.

Comelec-7 director lawyer Jose Nick Mendros said no problems have been reported during the simultaneous distribution of the VCMs in Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental. He explained that Negros Oriental remains under the jurisdiction of Comelec-7 despite being already under a separate region because Negros Island Region has yet to create its own Comelec office.

"We have distributed the VCMs to the cities and municipalities of the polling centers. The BEIs (Board of Election Inspectors) are on standby mode together with all the election officers. They will be waiting until all the VCMs will arrive at their respective assignments," Mendros said.

Cebu province got a total 4,066 VCM units, 1,546 VCMs were delivered to Bohol, and 152 in Siquijor. Mendros said 1,284 VCMs were also transported safely to Negros Oriental. There were also another 4,000 units of VCMs distributed to Cebu City and Lapu-Lapu City for final testing and sealing.

Mendros said the machines will be tested today to ensure that the optical mark readers are functioning before it will be sealed. The final testing and sealing will be witnessed by the Board of Election Inspections, watchers from all political parties and accredited election watch groups.

"The purpose of the final testing and sealing is to determine whether the counting machines are functioning accurately. The sealing of the vote counting machines will follow right after we test them. The machines will be sealed and will be opened during the Election Day," said Mendros.

There will also be manual counting, he said, adding that the accurate reading of the machines may be determined by comparing the result of the manually counted votes from the printed Election Return.

Mendros said vote counting machines should be tested at least three days before the Election Day so that there will be enough days to replace those machines that are defective. —(FREEMAN)