INQUIRER Global Nation

TAGBILARAN CITY—The Commission on Elections Central Visayas (Comelec) has assigned six election officers to assist in the automated polls in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) on Aug. 11.

Comelec-7 assistant director Veronico Petalcorin said in an interview Wednesday that he would lead the group from the Central Visayas whose members would be assigned to different election “hot spots” in Basilan.

Joining Petalcorin to ARMM are Bohol election municipal supervisor Eliseo Labaria, election officers Edwin Palgan (Ubay), Rey Rafael Montoya (Sagbayan), Paul Bentulan (Sevilla, Bohol) and Joseph Soliva (Maribojoc, Bohol). The seventh member of the team and the only non-Boholano is municipal election officer Jose Bariga of Bogo, Cebu.

Petalcorin said, that they were in the final phase of an “urgent training” in Zamboanga before their actual assignment to Basilan starting today.

Petalcorin said he and Montuya would serve in Isabela City, Basilan as special action officers while Labaria would carry out the same task in Lamitan City.

Palgan would be assigned also in Lamitan City as a support staff while Soliva would join selected election officers from other regions tasked to operate the automated counting machines, he added.

Bentulan has been directed to sit in a “reception committee,” which would receive the ballots ready for computerized counting, Petalcorin said. /INQUIRER