Mock polls in Metro Manila deferred; PNP to secure poll machines

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is postponing Thursday’s mock polls in Metro Manila to Monday next week.

This was revealed by National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) chairman Jose Cuisia, who said delays in the delivery of ballots and other poll paraphernalia prompted the rescheduling of the mock elections.

“There are also problems in the delivery of the Precinct Count Optical Scan machines,” Cuisia added.

He said the postponement indicated that the Comelec was still unprepared for automated elections.

“They claim that they are ready, yet we are talking only of one precinct and a thousand voters and they were not able to fulfill their commitment,” Cuisia pointed out.

He said the Comelec has even failed to release the source code, which is a set of instructions embedded in every PCOS machine.

“They were supposed to provide a source code six months prior to elections. Again they did not accomplish that,” Cuisia said.

The Comelec earlier announced plans to hold mock polls among 1,000 voters in Metro Manila in an effort to test the readiness of the automated election system.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) has set up security measures in anticipation of the arrival of the PCOS machines for polling precincts in Metro Manila.

The machines will be kept in a warehouse in Quezon City.

The PCOS machines will start arriving on Wednesday from the Comelec warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna.

“We have conducted a security survey of the area and the site passed the criteria for it to be considered safe to keep the election materials,” Senior Superintendent Audie Arroyo, QCPD deputy director for operations, said.

Contingents from the National Capital Region Police Office’s Regional Mobile Group and the military’s NCR Command will guard the warehouse.

“Under no circumstances will the PCOS machines be left unattended,” Arroyo assured.