DESPITE the devastation caused by tropical storm “Agaton” (international code name Megi) in some parts of the country, the Commission on Elections said its preparations for the 2022 polls are still on track.
The poll body made a statement as it started delivering over 65.75 million ballots this week.
“We are now ready for the May 9 elections because we have completed the printing of all ballots and we have started deploying all election paraphernalia and the VCMs [vote counting machines] across the country,” Comelec Chairman Saidamen B. Pangarungan told reporters in an ambush interview in Abra on Thursday
“We are in fact ahead of schedule in the deployment,” he added.
The poll official made the assurance even after tropical storm Agaton damaged some voting centers in the country, including some from Ormoc, Leyte, earlier this month.
In a press conference on Thursday, Comelec Executive Director Bartolome J. Sinocruz Jr. said they are currently setting up makeshift voting centers in some of the affected areas, where it is required.
“The makeshift voting centers will be made from wooden materials and will be temporary in nature,” Sinocruz said.
In its website, Comelec said it will establish makeshift voting centers in Southern Leyte, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Northern Samar and other areas.
Fortunately, Sinocruz said they have yet to get any report of any VCM, Consolidation and Canvassing System (CCS), and the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), which was damaged because of tropical storm Agaton.
The storm left 175 people dead and 110 others missing nationwide, and caused millions of damage in infrastructure and agriculture.