Smaller clustered precincts next time-says Comelec

CEBU, Philippines - Following last Monday’s experience, the Commission on Elections is eyeing for a lesser number of voters in a clustered precinct and adding more Precinct Count Optical Scan machines to make the next elections faster and more orderly.

Comelec provincial election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said that the plan is an offshoot of the several complaints they have received regarding the conduct of the elections last Monday.

Castillano admitted that complaints and problems bombarded their office during the election day. He said that they are now making it sure that the next elections will be more peaceful and orderly.

Castillano, in an interview, said that instead of the more than one thousand voters in every clustered precinct, they will trim it down to at most 500 to prevent overcrowding and make the process faster.

Aside from trimming down their number of voters for each clustered precinct, Castillano said they will also add more PCOS machines to compliment the additional clustered precincts to be created.

Castillano said additional technicians for the PCOS machines will be hired also so that if there will be cases of damage PCOS it will be resolved as soon as possible.

“Ang problema man gud ang giingon nga one PCOS machine is to one technician pero ang nahitabo man hinuon kay one technician man per voting center, malangay tag samot,” Castillano said.

He said they will also lobby to the central office the decentralization of decision making during the election day to make it faster.

“ Dapat kung kinsa may sunod nga provider i-decentralize ang decision making kay pareha adtong election manawag pa mi kung unsay ilang decision didto sa Manila. Dugay raba gyud kaayo moabot ug upat ka oras pa usa maka desisyon,” Castillano said.   (FREEMAN NEWS)