00:00The Commission on Elections will start this week the deployment of automated counting machines in various parts of the country
00:07as part of the preparations for the upcoming Hatol ng Bayan 2025.
00:11This is the report of Louisa Erispe.
00:16It's been more than a month since the vote for the Hatol ng Bayan 2025.
00:21That's why the Commission on Elections will start the deployment
00:25of automated counting machines in various parts of the country.
00:30According to COMELEC, on Friday, ACM will first send the machines to remote provinces.
00:43Machines will be sent directly to COMELEC offices.
00:46At present, 47,000 machines are ready to be deployed by COMELEC
00:51while 63,000 are yet to pass the Pre-Election Logic Accuracy Test or PRELA.
00:57If COMELEC approves, all the machines will be ready to be used for the election.
01:03We will know if the machines are accurate from the start to the end.
01:07You will also see the stress test that is being done for the USB storing devices.
01:12We will know if these can be stored properly.
01:16On April 20, COMELEC will deploy the machines directly to the city treasurer offices.
01:22COMELEC assures that there will be no delay and that this is just the right time before the election on May 12.
01:29At all costs, all the machines will arrive on or before May 5.
01:36Why? Because the final testing and sealing will start from May 6 onwards.
01:44It is also possible for COMELEC to deploy machines in Myanmar and Thailand
01:49after what happened in the aforementioned countries.
01:52Paul Boddy said that since the connection to the countries is not good,
01:57they might not be able to do the internet voting.
01:59There are 300 voters in Myanmar while there are more than 8,000 in Thailand.
02:04If the electronic transmission, electronic voting or internet voting of our countrymen in Myanmar is still effective,
02:13we might immediately send the machines.
02:17We are aware of that development.
02:20Meanwhile, while the campaign is being held for the local and national candidates,
02:25COMELEC strongly reminds them to show respect for each other.
02:30It is also possible for COMELEC to put the province of Abra under the control of Paul Boddy
02:35after the rumors that there is a captain and a driver of a politician
02:41because of the following rumors in the area.
02:43Just a few in Abra.
02:46And don't test the patience of the commission as far as this province is concerned.
02:50We place Abra under COMELEC control in 2022.
02:53We place Abra under COMELEC control in the Barangay and SK elections.
02:57We will not hesitate to place Abra under COMELEC control once again.
03:00It may be a competition but it is not a war.
03:03We are still friends, we are still one country and we are related.
03:07So, there is no killing, there is no killing.
03:10Luisa Erispe for Pambansang TV in Bagong, Philippines.
