“It is all systems go. Ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan ay dumating na,” said lawyer Fernando Cot-om, provincial election supervisor.
Vote counting machines and official ballots have already arrived and being distributed to various polling centers and municipal treasurers in 11 towns and one city.
“No area is considered as election hotspot,” the Comelec provincial chief said.
This was confirmed by Senior Supt. Rhodel Sermonia, Bataan police director. “Bataan is generally peaceful,” the provincial police chief said.
Cot-om and Sermonia headed Tuesday’s creation of the Multi-Agency Election Monitoring Center that broadened its membership.
“This is the first of its kind in Region 3, if not in the country,” Sermonia said. The election monitoring center used to have as members only the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Comelec but many government and private agencies were included this time.
Among the members aside from representatives from PNP, AFP and Comelec are those from the Department of Education, provincial engineering office, provincial health office, Metro Bataan Development Authority, PPCRV, Namfrel, provincial social welfare office, power distributor Penelco, Bureau of Fire Protection, provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, Comelec hauler 2Go, Smartmatic, telecommunications providers and some others.
“Although Bataan is generally peaceful, there might occur some events like bomb threat, disenfranchisement of voters, vehicular accidents that need synchronized efforts of all agencies for quick response under a central command.” Sermonia said.
He said the broadened election monitoring center will ensure proper coordination and channeling for smooth, peaceful and orderly elections and will be ready to attend to emergencies.
