Another shipment of more than 200 Precinct Count Optical Scan machines, official ballots and other election paraphernalia for the May 13 polls arrived at about 9:45 a.m. yesterday in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

These were on board four container vans transported by 2GO forwarding company from Bacolod City at around 3 a.m. yesterday, with 19 police escorts, Supt. Carlos Lacuesta, security team leader, said.

The Commission on Elections said the transport and delivery of the election equipment and materials has accounted for all the PCOS machines intended for Negros Oriental and Siquijor. It was not immediately known, however, if reserved units for contingency also arrived yesterday as the container vans have yet to be opened and inventoried.

Dumaguete City elections officer Jerome Brillantes said he believes that, aside from the PCOS machines and official ballots, the vans could also contain other items like the ballot boxes.

Negros Oriental will have 1,076 PCOS units, and Siquijor 142, based on the Comelec guideline of one machine for each clustered voting precinct.

Acting Provincial Elections Supervisor Juvenal Tuale said that they do not know yet when the official ballots allocated for the two provinces, will arrive. He said the 2GO firm wants to deliver immediately the official ballots to towns and cities but the town and city treasurers declined.

He said the treasurers need time to invite candidates, political parties, the National Movement for Free Elections and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, to witness the inventory of the official ballots.

Tuale said there will be no extra official ballots for the May 13 polls as only one is allocated each voter.

Negros Oriental has 722,265 registered voters, and Siquijor has 17,731, Comelec records show.

The official ballots will be kept in the holding area inside the 2GO warehouse in Dumaguete City. Tuale said he is confident that the PCOS machines, official ballots and other election materials will be safe in the warehouse.

He also said the provincial Comelec is about 95 percent ready for the May 13 elections.*JFP

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