More than a thousand Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines intended for Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces arrived safely in Dumaguete City on Tuesday afternoon from Bacolod City.
The convoy comprised three container vans packed with the PCOS machines and two marked police patrol cars with a total of 18 uniformed security personnel led by Supt. Carlos Lacuesta, chief of the Provincial Public Safety Company of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Negros Oriental.
The convoy arrived in Dumaguete City at 2 p.m. where representatives from 2GO (the official cargo forwarder of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the Visayas and Mindanao regions), Dumaguete election officer Atty. Jerome Brillantes, and Msgr. Julius Heruela, convenor of the Diocesan Electoral Board of the Diocese of Dumaguete and head of the local citizens’ arm, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) were on hand to received the delivery.
There was an initial uproar after it was discovered that more than 200 PCOS machines were missing. The problem was, however, rectified in the following days, with the COMELEC assuring everyone that all PCOS machines are accounted for.
The three container vans are now safely stored at the holding area of 2GO in Dumaguete with police to deploy security personnel round-the-clock to guard them.
It was also confirmed Tuesday afternoon that no ballot boxes were included in the delivery. They would follow this week in another convoy, as well as the official ballots, CF cards and other election paraphernalia that will all be delivered by 2GO via Bacolod City, said Atty. Brillantes.
Atty. Brillantes said there will be more than enough for the total clustered precincts for Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces plus reserved units for contingency.
One PCOS machine is allocated per clustered voting precincts.
Negros Oriental has a total of 1,076 clusters while Siquijor province has 142.
Msgr. Julius Heruela has thanked the PNP for safely escorting the PCOS machines to Negros Oriental.
He hopes that the elections will be as safe, peaceful and orderly as the transport of the automated voting machines.
As observers in Wednesday’s inventory, the PPCRV will take note of matters such as the total number of PCOS machines delivered, contingency units and deviations in the processes, Msgr. Heruela said.