Only one office to receive COCs for bets in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines -  The Commission on Elections has tasked only one office to receive the certificates of candidacy of all of those who are seeking elective positions in Cebu City for the coming May 10, 2010 national and local elections. 

City Election Officer Marchel Sarno said this was contained in the directive that he received from Comelec regional director Ray Rene Boac.

With this, Sarno is designated to receive the COCs of those who are running for representative in both the north and south legislative districts of the city. In the same manner, he would also be the one to receive the COCs of those seeking elected positions in the city such as for mayor, vice mayor and councilors who would represent the two districts of the city.

This is in accordance with Comelec Resolution Number 8678 section 3 paragraph 1 and 2 promulgated last October 6, 2009.

Boac explained that the new Comelec rules authorized him to designate an election officer in cases where there are two or more election officers.“Ang bag-ong rules sa Comelec nag-ingon man gud nga in cases nga dunay two or more election officers sa usa ka lugar, mag-designate ang regional director ug usa ana nga maoy mudawat sa tanang i-file nga COCs,” Boac said.

In relation to the directive, Sarno is informing all probable candidates in the city to go directly to his office if they intend to file their COCs.

Comelec will start accepting the COCs in different elected positions for the next year’s election on November 20 until midnight of December 1.

Meanwhile, Sarno disclosed that the surveyors of Smartmatic/Total Information Management consortium started their inspection yesterday to all polling places in the city.

This is to ensure that these polling places have telecommunications signal to avoid transmittal problems during the implementation of the poll automation.

“Ila g’yong siguruhon kung duna bay signal ba kay kung wala, provide-dan man na sila og satellite phone ba,” Sarno said.

Smartmatic/Total Information Management consortium has already been declared by Comelec as the winning bidder for the P11.3 billion poll automation project.

 Sarno estimated that the survey of Smartmatic personnel would last for weeks because the city has hundreds of polling places.

Cebu City has a little over two thousand polling precincts in the last elections but this will be reduced due to the implementation of poll automation next year. — Elly Bolonos/WAB  (THE FREEMAN)