THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) deployed 9,885 automated counting machines (ACMs) over the weekend to jumpstart the delivery of the units to be used in the May 12 polls.
Data provided by the Comelec showed that
2,744 ACMs were deployed to Iligan City; 1,542 units to Kidapawan City; 2,372 to Zamboanga City; and 33 to Batanes last Friday.
On Saturday, 1,851 units were delivered in Butuan City and 670 in Surigao City.
The poll body also deployed 673 ACMS to General Santos City on Sunday.
The Comelec said 2,300 automated counting machines will be dispatched for the hub in Davao City.
In an interview last Friday, Comelec chairman George Garcia said they will start the deployment of ACMs to distant regions.
He said the regional hubs will house the ACMs until it is time for them to be distributed to their assigned provinces, cities, and municipalities.
“From there (hubs), our local Comelec personnel will just get them,” he said.
The poll body is expected to dispatch 110,000 ACMs, including contingency machines, that will be used for the midterm elections.
Of the figure, 94,000 units will be used on Election Day while the remaining 16,000 shall serve as back up machines.
