By Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday started the two-day deployment of the 7.5 million official printed ballots that will be used in the National Capital Region (NCR) for the May 12 midterm elections.
“The shipment of ballots in the NCR will begin [today],” Garcia said in an interview at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City where the ballots were printed.
Scheduled to receive their ballots on Tuesday are Caloocan, Marikina, Pasig, Valenzuela, Quezon City, Malabon, Navotas, and San Juan.
On the other hand, Muntinlupa, Pateros, Taguig, Manila, Makati City, Pasay, Las Piñas, Mandaluyong, and Parañaque will receive their ballots on Wednesday.
Garcia said the ballots will be delivered first to the Office of the Treasurer of each area before their distribution to the Electoral Board either on Sunday or early Monday morning.
“The distribution will take place Sunday or Monday early so that teachers can go directly to the precincts where they are assigned,” he said.
Meanwhile, Garcia said the Comelec is looking into the reported incident in Santa Cruz, Laguna where a group of people were arrested on Monday for supposedly attempting to inspect the automated counting machines (ACMs) at the Silangan Elementary School.
“We will go deeper on that. We will not allow it to just be like that,” he said.
“We want to know that. What is their purpose in the very place where the machines are before deploying them to the Electoral Board members? This is worrying but we are thankful because there was news of the arrest,” the poll chief added. (PNA)
