Cebu City Poll Officials Dispatch VCMs to Different Polling Centers

Cebu City election officials started dispatching the 837 vote counting machines (VCMs) to the different polling centers in the city at 5 a.m. Friday.

Cebu City South District Election Officer Edwin Cadungog said far-flung barangays will get their VCMs first, followed by nearby villages.

Cadungog said the VCMs will be tested and sealed starting from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to make sure these will function properly on election day, May 9.

The VCMs and other election paraphernalia, which will be used during the May 9 elections, were delivered to the Cebu City Hall on Thursday where they were kept under heavy guard overnight.

The 272 VCMs for Mandaue City were immediately distributed to the board of election inspectors (BEI) of different polling centers after these were delivered to the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex on Thursday.

Mandaue Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde said the immediate distribution of the VCMs is the general rule of the Comelec.

Lapu-Lapu City’s 261 VCMs were also delivered on Thursday and will tested and sealed Friday.

Lawyer Marchel Sarno, Lapu-Lapu City Election Officer, said the city’s 13 island barangays will have to wait until May 8 for their VCMs to be delivered.

A total of 4,066 VCMs were delivered and distributed Thursday in Cebu along with the arrival of 102 contingency VCMs.

Lawyer Eliseo Labaria, acting Comelec Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor, said they’re proposing for each town to have two contingency VCMs in case some of the machines malfunction on election day. (PNA) FFC/EB/EDS