Comelec: Power supply secured for BARMM polls

The power sector has assured the Commission on Elections that electricity supply will remain uninterrupted during the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections on Monday, 14 September.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said Sunday, 13 September, that the assurance was given during a meeting with power sector representatives and electric cooperatives last week.

“Tayo ay kampante doon sa garantiyang ‘yan,” Garcia said.

(We are confident of that guarantee.)

Garcia said that even if power interruptions occur in some areas, the vote counting machines have batteries capable of lasting for up to three days.

He added that during the final testing and sealing of the VCMs on Saturday, 12 September, election officials confirmed that all machine batteries were fully charged.

Comelec has also deployed more than 1,200 spare VCMs and 300 additional batteries across BARMM, Garcia said.

The assurance came after the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections raised concerns over possible power interruptions during and after the elections.

Namfrel Secretary General Eric Alvia said Sunday that the election watchdog released an assessment paper on 7 September identifying power supply as one of its concerns ahead of the polls.

“Medyo manipis ‘yung power reserves nakita natin na nirereport sa NGCP, pati sa IEMOP,” Alvia said.

(We saw slim power reserves based on reports made to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines.)