Aquino unhappy with barangay and SK poll turnout
TARLAC CITY: Dissatisfied with the turnout of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said Monday that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should have prepared more for the electoral process.
Speaking before members of the media at the Central Asucarera de Tarlac (CAT) Elementary School here, the President noted the delay in the delivery of election paraphernalia causing the deferment of the process in several areas nationwide.
“Compared to the automated elections, this is a simpler undertaking, said the President, stressing that the law has specified this date for the elections, which means preparations ought to have been made. “We need to know the reason for the delay.”
The Comelec in Manila, said that the delays were merely caused by the late delivery of poll materials.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the problems were caused by road hitches and shipping delays.
"There were several instances where delivery trucks suffered flat tires. In some cases, they left Manila late because of shipping scheduling and flights not being available. (But) they tried to recover as much as possible because the schedule was very, very tight," he said.
In a separate interview, Comelec chairman Jose Melo said that some ballots have to be reprinted due to unintentional duplication of serial numbers which also caused the delay.
However, the Comelec also issued Resolution 9079 allowing Board of Election Tellers (BET) to add one arabic numeral after the last digit of the duplicated serial number to render the ballots usable.
Chairman Melo did not issue any statement on who should be blamed for the problem. He just pointed the "antiquated printing presses" for what happened.
"I don't want to be blaming anybody," he said.
Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the printing of ballots was suppose to run for just 45 days. It was however extended to 60 days. (PCOO)
Aquino casts vote in a breeze
TARLAC CITY: Unlike the recent National Elections, it only took four minutes for President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to cast his vote at the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Elementary School in Barangay San Miguel here.
The President arrived at exactly 10 a.m. at Sitio Alto Central, precinct No. 0175-A, his assigned polling precinct for the nationwide Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
He was accompanied by sisters Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Pinky Aquino-Abellada and nephew Jiggy Aquino-Cruz who also voted in the same precinct.
Poll precinct No. 175-A is headed by Mr. Romeo Hipolito, principal of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Elementary School. It has a total of 115 barangay and 120 Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) voters.
The President’s short stay at the polling precinct was a far cry from the presidential elections held there last May where the President had to wait in line for more than three hours to cast his vote.
The delay was caused by a glitch in the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine that was used there.
There were 23 machines that bogged down in the whole province of Tarlac at that time. Seven of those were sent for repair while one was used in the precinct where the President cast his vote.
“Well, talagang iyong automation ang naging problema dun sa presinto namin last time. The machines bogged down that’s why it took me more than four hours,” the Chief Executive said. (PCOO)
NPO released election ballots on time, says Coloma
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma on Saturday said the National Printing Office (NPO) completed the release of all ballots three days before the elections to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“The NPO chief, Emmanuel Andaya, reported that the last batch of the election materials were received by the Comelec on Oct. 22,” Secretary Coloma said in a statement. The NPO is one of the agencies supervised by the PCOO.
Coloma also clarified that the NPO’s mandate was limited to the printing of the ballots, and was not tasked with distributing them.
Last Sunday, the Comelec issued resolution No. 9078 ordering the postponement of elections to Oct. 26 or 27 in areas where “official ballots, accountable forms and other election paraphernalia will arrive at its designated polling center after 12:00 noon of Oct. 25.”
The Comelec was acting on reports indicating that “there will be delays in the arrival” of the election materials in some areas.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) election watch quoted Police Director Benjamin Belarmino as reporting that elections were suspended in 1,599 barangays, less than four percent of the 42,025 barangays nationwide.
The polls were suspended mostly in barangays in four provinces in the Bicol region, including the island provinces of Masbate and Catanduanes, Belarmino said. (PCOO)
