Election Related | Five PCOS Machines Burned in iloilo City

 

Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that five voting machines were torched by unknown suspects in Iloilo, on late Saturday.

In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal confirmed that five Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) units were burned together with a portion of the Caduldulan Elementary School in the town  of Miag-ao, Iloilo on Saturday afternoon.

The commissioner said that they have yet to determine who was behind the attack. "We're getting more details now," he said.  While Comelec spokesman James Jimenez told GMANews.TV in a text message that their suspects "for now" are members of the communist-led New People's Army (NPA).

Poll machine supplier Smartmatic spokesman Gene Gregorio told GMANews.TV in a text message that they have left the matter in the hands of the poll body. "Comelec is verifying," he said.

Larrazabal said that they will hold a press conference about the matter on Sunday morning.

Smartmatic is expected to provide 82,200 PCOS machines for the Monday's automated polls. More than 6,000 of the units will serve as spares in case some of the other machines malfunction or get destroyed.