By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Feb 12 (PIA) --The
Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced the need to hire information technology
specialists to operate the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in
Negros Oriental for the May 13 elections.
Dumaguete City Acting Election Officer, Atty. Jerome Brillantes of Comelec said
during the Kapihan sa PIA recently that the teachers from the Department of
Education (DepEd) or the Board of Elections Inspectors in 2010 election are not
enough to serve as PCOS technicians, thus, the office is recruiting technicians
from the private sector.
However he assured voters that teachers and IT experts will be properly trained
to handle automated election system by Comelec and Smartmatic.
By then, he added the technician already know how to operate the PCOS
machine-readable form, as this is very sensitive to any marks.
To ensure that the votes on election day is counted, the Comelec officer warned
the voters not to make any markings but to properly shade the election ballots
that would be fed into the voting machines.
Brillantes noted that overvoting, or voting for more than the specified number
of candidates, renders that particular portion of the ballot invalid and the
vote will not be counted.
He observed in 2010 election that there’s a low turned out of results in the
hinterland barangays than those in the poblacion intelligent participants who
know how to use the modern ballot.
In the same Kapihan forum, Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) convenor, Reverend
Monsignor Julius Heruela said to ensure that things go smoothly on May 13, he
asked the voters to check ahead their precinct number to make sure the voter is
actually registered in their respective areas
Msgr. Heruela said the Cathedral Parish will put up a voter’s information area
right in front of the church where churchgoers can verify their precinct number
or double check other pertinent info after the Mass.
The monsignor said the DEB has lined-up activities on voters’ education
campaign to achieve clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful (Champ)
orderly elections in the province.
He hopes that this year’s elections is truly reflective to the sentiments and
will of the Negrense.
The DEB is composed of private sectors, government and non-government
organizations (NGOs), and the church which include the Comelec, PPCRV,
NAMFREL,PNP, AFP, PIA, DepEd, AAGoGo, Social Action, BBC, LENTE and KBP.
(mbcn/JCT/PIA-Negros Oriental)