Comelec says it’s all systems go

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—It’s all systems go for the 2013 automated elections, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes said they were practically done with all the preparations for the May 13 polls.

“We don’t want to boast but we are practically finished with our local preparations. We are already in the implementation stage,” Brillantes told reporters Friday during an inspection at the Comelec’s Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) assembly facility in Cabuyao, Laguna.

The PCOS assembly facility in Cabuyao is where the PCOS machines for the 2013 May elections are being configured and tested.

“We are already through with the ballot boxes, the ballots and we are already winding up with our preparations here,” he added.

The Comelec chief said he expected to finish the deployment of the PCOS machines by the end of the month.

“Our target is on or before April 30, all of the PCOS should be out of this warehouse. That’s one week before the scheduled final testing and sealing on May 6. By that time all the PCOS should be deployed in all the clustered precincts,” he said.