Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) have conducted an inspection of the automated counting machines (ACMs) scheduled for use in the national and local elections on May 12, 2025.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Bicol Director Maria Juana Valeza revealed that over 6,000 ACMs are set to be deployed throughout the Bicol Region. Currently, 2,000 of these units are securely stored in a warehouse in the city. The ACMs have been upgraded from previous versions, allowing voters to see a scanned image of their ballots, which enables them to verify their votes before submitting them. Despite these technological advancements, election boards and poll watchers will continue to manually oversee the voting process to maintain transparency and accuracy.

The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO-5) will ensure the security and readiness of the machines. In addition to the inspection, a deployment ceremony took place at the PRO-5 Grandstand in Camp BGen Simeon A. Ola, where 100 policemen were dispatched to Masbate province to support local law enforcement in election-related duties.

These officers, drawn from various PRO-5 units, were addressed by PRO-5 Director Brig. Gen. Andre Dizon, who emphasized their roles as protectors of democracy and peace. The Masbate Police Provincial Office, in collaboration with Comelec, will conduct a risk assessment to determine specific locations for the deployed personnel.