Norma Maura (left) and her sister Laura fill up their ballots during the mock elections at the Mabolo Elementary School. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
CEBU CITY, Philippines – With less than a week before the 2022 National Elections, election officials here said they are ready to welcome voters into polling precincts.
The Commission on Elections in Cebu province (Comelec-Cebu) said all infrastructures and materials are now in place for the May 9, 2022 polls, which will be this Monday.
Lawyer Jerome Brillantes, the acting Provincial Elections Supervisor of Comelec-Cebu, said they are ‘101 percent ready’ for the upcoming polls.
Brillantes said all ballot boxes and vote-counting machines in the province have been delivered last April, and their security plans are ready to be implemented.
“We’re 101 percent ready kasi our ballot boxes are now in place, nadeliver last Saturday. It was successful. VCM (vote-counting machines) nato, niabot second week of April. So everything is in place na,” Brillantes said.
Cebu is the country’s most vote-rich province, with over 3.2 million individuals expected to cast their ballots this Monday.
While no parts of the province, including its three largest, independent cities – Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, and Mandaue, have been included in the government’s list of election hotspots, at least seven areas were tagged as ‘areas of concern’,
The Comelec-Cebu identified the towns Madridejos, Daanbantayan, San Fernando, Bogo City, and portions of Camotes Island as ‘areas of concern’ due to their history of election-related violence, intense political rivalry, and geographic location.
In turn, they requested additional enforcers to be augmented in these localities.
“Whenever naay muspark and volatile kaayo ang situation so at least, ready na ta… Wa man gud ta kabalo gud (unsay mahitabo),” pointed out Brillantes. /rcg
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