THE delivery of Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) to polling centers in Cebu City was successful and problem-free, said the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) chief, Police Colonel Enrico Figueroa.
The delivery began in the early hours of Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Figueroa personally led the inspection of the schools to ensure that the police assigned to guard the machines -- transported from the Treasurer’s Office at Cebu City Hall -- were providing tight security.
Figueroa said they had been preparing for the elections since the previous month, conducting weekly command conferences and coordination meetings with other government agencies to ensure smooth, orderly, and peaceful election security operations.
On election day, the CCPO will deploy 1,271 uniformed police personnel across polling centers to maintain peace and order.
"Actually, as early as last month, nag-prepare na tayo para dito sa ating National and Local Elections. We have so many preparations, series of conferences, coordination of other government agencies and ito nandito na tayo ngayon. We have prepared at least 1,271 PNP personnel ng ating Cebu City Police Office. Ide-deploy natin during election period," said Figueroa.
(Actually, as early as last month, we started preparing for the National and Local Elections. We had many preparations, a series of conferences, and coordination with other government agencies. Now we are here, ready with 1,271 PNP personnel from the Cebu City Police Office to be deployed during the election period.)
Figueroa clarified that while they are on high alert for the elections, they have not eased up on their anti-criminality operations. In fact, they formed an organized anti-criminality task force dedicated to maintaining peace and order and combating crime in the city.
During the final testing and sealing, Figueroa tried casting a vote to verify the functionality of the ACMs delivered to polling centers. He confirmed that the machines worked effectively and accurately.
He even tested placing a ballot from a different polling precinct into another ACM, and the machine rejected it. This demonstrated the ACM’s unique features, such as a barcode system, designed to accept ballots only designated for that specific machine.
Once the ACMs were delivered to each classroom in the respective schools, police officers began guarding them 24/7 until the election concludes on May 12. (AYB)