COMELEC

Sixty-eight defective Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS )

machines were monitored by the Commission on Elections in Negros Occidental during the national and local elections yesterday.

Aside from the defective PCOS machines, four Compact Flash (CF) cards and 64 back-up CF cards also have defects, based on the report of Provincial PCOS supervisor Jose Leo Redoblo last night.

Of the 68 problematic PCOS machines, 14 are in San Carlos City, eight in Calatrava and seven each in Ilog and Silay. There are three defective PCOS machines each in Escalante, E.B. Magalona and Cauayan; two each in Don Salvador Benedicto, Toboso, Isabela, and Himamaylan City; and one each in Manapla, Sagay City, Talisay, Victorias, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Hinigaran, La Castellana, and Candoni.

The final testing and sealing (FTS) of 2,044 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines all over Negros Occidental will be held simultaneously today starting at 9 a.m., Provincial Elections Supervisor Wil Arceño said yesterday.

Watchers of various political groups and candidates will be present during the provincewide FTS, he said.

All the 2,044 PCOS machines were delivered to the respective Comelec offices of the 31 towns and cities last Wednesday, and to voting precincts in Bacolod yesterday, Arceño said.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved in yesterday’s session the resolution of Councilor Em Ang, chairman, committee on social services, and committee on gender and development, is urging the Commission on Elections (COMELEC0 to establish precincts assigned to accessible polling places exclusively for persons with disability (PWD), during the conduct of elections on May 13, 2013.

Ang’s resolution is relative to RA 10366 signed into law by Pres. Benigno Aquino III, which mandates theestablishment of separate polling places intended for PWD and senior citizens, andthese voting centers must have devices and personnel that will assist PWDs and senior citizens.

The law provides that the PWDs and senior citizens will be assisted in fillingthe ballot by their relatives, either by consanguinity or affinity, within the fourth civil degreee, or by the Board of Election Inspectors.

Bacolod City Lone District Representative, Congressman Anthony Rolando "Doc Tony" T. Golez, Jr. sent a letter request to COMELEC Chairman Sixto S. Brillantes, strongly urging the latter to order that the canvassing in the May 13, 2013 Elections be conducted at the Bacolod Bays Center. The Bacolod COMELEC Office recently ordered that the canvassing be held at the New Government Center. Cong. Doc Tony’s grounds for his request is the fact that there is already a taint of bias in favor of incumbent Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia, since the latter has allocated millions of pesos in favor of the Bacolod COMELEC Office.

"To have a fair election, the COMELEC should not only act fairly but they should also appear to be fair. The transfer of the canvassing from the open to the public, Bays Center, to the small Session Hall in the NGC, the nerve center of the anomaly-ridden administration of Bing Leonardia, does not make the actuations of the COMELEC appear fair. There is no plausible justification in transferring the canvassing, unless they are already so callous that they have lost all sense of decency. The Bacolodnons should step up to the plate and exert effort in guarding their future and not lose hope for having a better Bacolod City," added Cong. Doc Tony.