THREE months ahead of the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is set to begin on August 1 the dispatch of poll supplies and paraphernalia that will be used in the different voting centers and polling precincts.
In an advisory, Comelec – Administrative Services Department (ASD) Director Thaddeus Hernan said: “Notice is hereby given that the Comelec, through its Packing and Shipping Committee (PSC), will commence with the dispatch and/or deployment of election-related cargoes come August 1, 2023.”
Hernan said the poll supplies will be deployed to their assigned provinces, cities, and municipalities.
In an interview, Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said the supplies to be deployed will be non-accountable forms, such as envelopes, folders, pens, thumbprint mats, among others, which have “minimal” security risks.
Laudiangco said they will dispatch the accountable forms, such as election returns, ballots, and statement of votes at a later date.
“Our security forces will, by then, be able to focus on the heightened security (for the accountable forms),” said the official.
As in previous practices, Laudiangco said the deployment will be from the farthest to the nearest areas in Metro Manila. — Gerard Naval
