Enough classrooms prepared

A high voter turnout is expected as Cebuanos troop to polling precincts acorss the province for today’s barangay elections.

Voting starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.

“More people come out to vote because they want to support their relatives or neighbors running for a position,” said Cebu Provincial Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano.

Based on past records, the turnout in barangay elections is “usually better” than the national elections which is below 80 percent.

Voter turnout was 82 percent in last May’s national elections or higher than 77 percent in 2010.

Cebu City is also pilot area for a special polling precinct for senior citizens in barangay Mabolo.

No shortage of classrooms is expected although 721 classrooms in Cebu were declared unsafe by structural engineers for use after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the province and Bohol last Oct. 15.

The Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu office said there are more than 8,000 classrooms in Metro Cebu and the province that are still safe for use.

“So far, I haven’t received a call from the Comelec-Manila that they need more classrooms for the polls,” DepEd-Cebu Supt. Arden Monisit said.

Castillano, Comelec Regional Director Temie Lambino and Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca inspected preparations in the cities of Naga and Talisay, and Liloan town.

Padaca flew to Cebu to attend the send-off ceremony at Camp Lapu-lapu for Armed Forces troops to be assigned in various polling precincts in the province.

Commissioner Padaca will also be at the Event Center in SM City Cebu to witness the pilot testing for the senior citizen voting center.

“I also want to monitor how Director Lambino and Comelec Provincial Supervisor Castillano will conduct the barangay elections,” she added.

Castillano said they were forced to transfer two polling precincts in Argao town and one in Alegria town after the designated classrooms were declared unsafe yesterday.

First come, first-served

Castillano said the ballots and all other election paraphernalia were already delivered and ready for use in today’s polls.

Police will escort the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) in bringing the ballot boxes to their respective precincts.

In Mandaue City, priority numbers will be given to BEIs for distribution of ballot boxes at 4 am., today.

Julie Ballesteros of the Mandaue City Treasurer’s Office said the distribution will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

About 90 personnel from the City Treasurer’s Office were recruited for the distribution of the ballot boxes in City hall.

There are 11 precincts in two barangays in Mandaue City that have been transferred after classrooms were damaged in the Oct. 15 earthquake.

Mandaue City election officer Anna Fleur Gujilde said five precincts in Pagsabungan National High School will be transferred to the same compound while barangay Cambaru’s six precincts will be transferred to the Mandaue City Central School.

There are 594 candidates running in Mandaue City’s barangay elections. Of that number, 66 candidates are running for barangay captain.

Director Lambino said so far there were no complaints that reached his office.

Lambino encouraged people to file complaints against persons or parties who harass them before or during the elections.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. yesterday said they expect a “very high” voters’ turnout, but cautioned that the elections being manually executed, won’t be foolproof.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez reminded voters over Twitter to bring a valid ID and to use the pen provided instead of a pencil.

“Write legibly; write the candidate’s full name,” he said. Jimenez said voters are not allowed to take a picture of their filled-up ballot.

Supt. Noel Gillamac, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) said their forces are augmented by the Armed Forces in securing the province’s polling precincts.

Traffic scheme

Gillamac and Ancheses Diola, the military’s commander for its Task Group Cebu, submitted the list of PNP and Armed Forces personnel to the BEI.

There is also no shortage of buses for people planning to go home and vote in southern towns and cities today, Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) manager Vicente Dejoras said.

Last Saturday, the CSBT management implemented a new passenger traffic scheme to avoid untoward incidents inside the terminal.

The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) also deployed more than 15 personnel to the terminal to augment the six security officers in CSBT, he said.

“We also have a K-9 bomb-sniffing dog deployed here. So far, there have been no reports of adverse incidents,” Dejoras said. /Michelle Joy L. Padayhag and Peter L. Romanillos, Correspondents with an Inquirer report