With just two days before the polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on late Saturday said that five voting machines were torched by unknown suspects in Iloilo.
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.
But 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). He did not elaborate.
Iloilo is known to be a province where the NPA has a strong presence. Some of the residents there have even filed a complaint against the rebels for allegedly placing internationally-banned landmines near public schools. (See: Iloilo City residents file rights rap vs NPA rebs)
In a statement posted Saturday on the Philippine Revolution website, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) insisted it is not interested in the PCOS machines even as it warned elections officials that the equipment may be damaged in NPA ambushes if they are transported by the military. (CPP-NPA to Comelec: Our targets are not your PCOS machines but their AFP escorts)
The 82nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army is based in Camp Monteclaro in Miag-ao itself. However, there has been no confirmed report of any recent NPA attack on any government facility in the municipality as of posting time.
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. —JV, GMANews.TV
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