- MITCH M. LIPA
Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor, Atty. Roberto Salazar, said that 1,400 ballot boxes for the May 9 elections arrived Wednesday and were brought to the Comelec warehouse in Bacolod City.
The newly-delivered ballot boxes, he said, will augment the existing boxes that were used during the 2019 elections and were kept at the warehouse.
Salazar said they expect the delivery of the Vote Counting Machines before the end of April, and the official ballots days before the elections that will then be distributed to the cities and towns of the province.
There are 2,906 clustered precincts in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.
Meanwhile, Salazar said that violations of the health protocols, particularly on physical distancing, were reported by election officers assigned in the different towns and cities of the province.
Based on the assessment of the election officers, the protocol on physical distancing was violated in almost all local rallies, five days since the local campaign period started March 25.
The election officers observed that candidates shook hands and even kissed the voters, gestures that should be avoided while campaigning. Selfies and groufies are also not allowed under the Comelec guidelines, Salazar said.
He reiterated that candidates should follow the guidelines since the pandemic is not yet over, and there might be another surge if everyone will not be careful.
Another common violation, he said, is spending for food for those who are attending the rallies.
While eating during the rallies is allowed, Salazar said candidates should not spend for the food since it will be interpreted as a form of vote buying. | MML
