The Commission on Elections started shipping automated counting machines (ACMs) to its hubs in Mindanao on Friday, April 4. Comelec handout photo/file

The Commission on Election (Comelec) on Saturday confirmed that the boxes of solar panels and Wi-Fi transmission equipment found stored at a residence in Buhangin, Davao City are part of election equipment for the coming May polls.

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laundiangco, however, said the house was only a temporary staging hub used by its transmission service provider before the equipment is delivered to Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs) in the region. 

Comelec starts shipping automated counting machines to Mindanao

“Mula sa Police Report ng Davao City Police Office, nabanggit ng Pulisya na ang mga gamit na nabanggit nga ay bahagi ng mga Transmission Devices mula sa Transmission Service Provider ng COMELEC na iOne Resources Joint Venture with Ardent Networks, Inc., (iOne V) at nagmula ito sa COMELEC warehouse at kasama sa Deployment Services din ng Komisyon,” Laundiangco, who is also head of the commission’s Education and Information Department, said in a statement.

“Kinumpirma din ng Field Operations and Transmission Groups ng Comelec Project Management Office na ito nga ay bahagi ng deployment ng naturang proyekto, at base sa naisumiteng listahan, sampung (10) sets lamang ito ng Starlink Devices, Solar Panels at Batteries,” he added.

Laudianco said iOne JV has informed them that the area where the devices were found is one of their staging hubs.

“(Dito nila) pansamantalang inilalagak ang sarili nilang kagamitan bago ang final delivery nito sa mga Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs) sa mga karatig na bayan at lungsod pati na sa buong lalawigan,” he added.

The said equipment will be assembled and installed at Voting and Canvassing Centers for the whole Davao Region on April 15 based on the Commission’s schedule of deployment and installation for the May 12, 2025 national and local elections. 

“Hawak ng Comelec ang listahan ng lahat ng mga temporary staging hubs at storage areas ng iOne JV, at ang pagkakalagak sa Barangay Buhangin, Davao City, ay naaayon dito,” said Laudianco.

He said the Comelec has seen no irregularities regarding the storage of the election devices in the residential area.

“Samakatuwid, ang mga tungkuling ito ay nananatili lamang kay iOne ]V, at obligasyon nila, sa pamamagitan anumang pinaka-efficient na pamamaraan, ang forward deployment ng mga naturang gamit, kasama na desisyon kung ito man ay pansamantalang ilalagak sa isang staging area na malapit sa mga OEOs, at patungo, bago maghalalan, sa mga Voting at Canvassing Centers. Walang nakikitang iregularidad ang COMELEC sa pangyayaring ito,” he said.

The Starlink devices and solar [anels will only be used for the transmission of results, said Laudianco.

“Walang kinalaman sa mga makina at programa sa pagbabasa ng mga balota at pagbibilang ng mga boto, at gagamitin lamang ang mga ito para i-transmit ang mga Election Returns at Certificates of Canvass,” he said. 

“Ito ay walang Election Program o Software na makakaapekto sa paggamit ng mga Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) at Consolidation and Canvassing Systems (CCS), pati na sa kabuoan ng Election Management System (EMS).”

He said the Comelec will conduct an audit of all its equipment.

The commission is also ordering its Election Officers and Provincial Election Supervisors to conduct inspections on all hubs, warehouses and storage areas of iOne NV to ensure that security protocols will be followed.

“Pinapaalala sa publiko at mga media organizations na palagiang nakalatag ang public transparency policies ng COMELEC, at maaaring mai-verify sa lahat ng oras ang anumang impormasyon patungkol sa halalan, gaya ng bagay na ito, upang maiwasan ang kalituhan o paglaganap ng mali at hindi tamang impormasyon na maaring magdulot ng pagkabahala at pag-alala sa ating mga kababayan,” he said.