PCOS delivered in Talisay City polling centers

ALL of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that will be used in Talisay City arrived yesterday and were immediately brought to their respective polling centers for final testing and sealing.

The 128 PCOS machines were arranged according to their designated polling precincts, in front of the City Hall around 1 p.m. yesterday.

Watchers from different candidates also monitored the arrival and delivery of the machines to polling centers.

These were later transported to the principal’s offices of schools that will serve as polling center on May 13.

According to Gallardo Escobar, Jr. the machines will be stored there for final testing and sealing on May 8.

The machines, powered by Smartmatic, were previously used during the May 10, 2010 elections.

Earlier, Arthur Patiga, election assistant of the Cebu provincial Comelec office, said there are 3,169 PCOS machines intended for Cebu province based on the number of the total clustered precincts in the province.

After the final testing and sealing, the PCOS machines will be secured by policemen until  election day.

The Talisay City Police Office said they were surprised by the unexpected arrival of the PCOS machines.

“But we were already prepared to secure election paraphernalia,” PO1 Ryan Baculi said despite the surprise.

Each of the 21 polling centers in Talisay City will have police security, said Talisay City police chief Supt. Elmer Lim. /Tweeny M. Malinao, Correspondent