Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco (File photo)
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday announced that it would pilot test the automated election system (AES) in three barangays in Quezon City and the province of Cavite for the October 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In a statement, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said Zone II Poblacion and Paliparan III in Dasmariñas City, Cavite and Barangay Pasong Tamo in the 6th District of Quezon City were chosen for the AES pilot testing.
“The choice of participating barangays in the pilot testing is the direct outcome of last Tuesday’s Regular Hearing of the House (of Representatives) Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms. The decision was reached upon mutual consultation and mutual agreement between the House and the Comelec,” Laudiangco said.
On the other hand, he noted that there would be minor changes in the Calendar of Activities for these barangays, including the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) by aspirants.
“In view of this limited pilot testing of the AES in the BSKE in the specified barangays in Dasmariñas City and Quezon City, the filing of COCs will be earlier in view of the need to print the names of the candidates in the machine-readable official ballots,” Laudiangco said.
“The election period shall remain the same, with the exception of the said period of filing of COCs in the pilot tested barangays, as well as the other periods (deployment, Final Testing and Sealing, etc.) inherent to the implementation of an automated elections system.”
The three barangays have nearly 112,000 registered voters – 84,100 regular and 27,817 youth voters – with 227 clustered precincts. (PNA)
