THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is thinking of increasing the silver nitrate solution of the indelible ink to be used in the coming May 10 polls.
Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said they are planning to quadruple the silver nitrate content of the ink from its 2007 composition to make sure that no voter will be able to vote twice.
“Dapat siguro dagdagan para agad lumabas at tumagal yung pagkaitim sa ating kuko,” he said, adding that they will increase it to 20 percent additional nitrate solution.
But Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said the requirement in the bidding documents for the indelible ink was only for seven percent.
He noted that the en banc can increase the amount of the solution if initial tests showed a slow pace of blackening the skin.
“We just want to make it stronger, more concentrated … We’re having it retested (but) the nitrate concentrate should not be enough to burn your finger,” he said.
During the 2007 elections, the silver nitrate solution was only five percent.
Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said the ink should last in the voter’s finger for at least two to three days.
The indelible ink is being placed on a voter’s forefinger after the voter cast his or her vote.
In a related development, Larrazabal revealed that the start of the delivery of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines will start on Wednesday (March 17).
Two machines, one PCOS and spare, will be shipped out by air to the hub in Palawan after which it will be brought to the Kalayaan islands.
Jimenez said the number of voters there is less than 100. (FP/Sunnex)