ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Iloilo City is intensifying its preparations for the May 12 midterm elections with the imminent arrival of 417 vote-counting machines (VCMs), set to be deployed across the city’s 417 clustered precincts.
COMELEC Iloilo City Election Assistant II Jonathan Sayno said the machines are expected to arrive before May 7, ahead of the scheduled final testing and sealing — a critical process to verify the functionality and accuracy of each unit.
“The final testing and sealing is our last line of defense to make sure that all machines are operational and free from technical issues. We cannot afford any glitches on election day,” Sayno said.
To guarantee the reliability of the VCMs, the poll body will also conduct a mock election, comparing results from manual counting with those processed by the machines. This measure is intended to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the automated system.
“This exercise allows us to verify the integrity of the machines and detect any discrepancies or potential malfunctions. It’s a crucial step in building public trust in the electoral process,” Sayno added.
Comelec Iloilo is preparing to serve 330,621 registered voters across 66 voting centers. With a one-to-one ratio between VCMs and clustered precincts, the commission aims to avoid long lines and technical delays on election day.
Sayno emphasized that the early delivery of machines will provide sufficient time for troubleshooting and, if necessary, requesting replacements. “The earlier we receive the machines, the better,” he said.
Meanwhile, voter education campaigns and inter-agency coordination efforts are ongoing with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Education (DepEd), and accredited election watchdogs to ensure clean, orderly, and peaceful polls./PN
