CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – The leadership of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera here Thursday said there are no pressing security problems on the early delivery of the 1,783 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in Baguio City and the six provinces of the region.

By this time, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial offices of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao, Mountain Province and Baguio City reported having received the PCOS machines to be used for the May 2010 first automated elections.

The PCOS machines have been properly documented in the presence of multi-sectoral representatives and have deposited the same in properly secured warehouses before they will be issued to the different polling centers three days before the elections.

Chief Supt. Villamor Bumanglag, PRO-COR regional director, said the PCOS machines will be secured through the provision of 24-hour security personnel from the police and military in order to prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation to sabotage the automated elections.

Aside from securing the warehouses where the PCOS machines are kept, Bumanglag revealed security arrangements are also in place when the machines will be transported from the hubs to the polling centers and within the polling centers until such time that the elections are over.

The police official claimed there is no problem in providing the security for the PCOS machines since the same was properly coordinated by the Comelec way before the arrival of the machines, thus, they were able to craft a suitable security plan for the purpose.

Even in the remotest areas in the region which could not be reached by vehicles, the police and military have defined a special security plan to help Comelec and Smartmatic personnel efficiently deliver the machines to the polling centers.

Before the PCOS machines will be given to the polling centers, transmission tests will be conducted in the municipal level so that the necessary adjustments could be made to ensure the efficient transmission of data from the lowest level to the Comelec main server in Metro Manila.

Initially, the Comelec noted several failure of transmission in some places in the region because of alleged weak signal although the broadband global area network or satellite discs will be used to immediately transmit the election results from the precinct level to the municipal board of canvassers, then to the provincial or city board of canvassers and finally to the Comelec central office.

According to Bumanglag, the security to be provided the PCOS will not affect the capability of the police force in maintaining a clean, honest, orderly and peaceful elections because they could immediately adjust to whatever situation.