Siaton: Automated counting machines (ACMs) were declared safe after the Tuesday night fire that hit the Siaton National High School in Siaton, Negros Oriental. The fire broke out around 8 p.m., hours after the final testing and sealing of the ACMs that will be used in Monday's elections.
According to Philippines News Agency, the cost of damage to structures and other items has reached around PHP800,000, as stated by Maj. Marve Bolay-og, Siaton police chief, on Thursday. Initial investigations identified faulty electrical wiring as the possible cause of the fire, which destroyed two buildings, five classrooms, three comfort rooms, and the Senior High School principal's office. Modules and equipment were also damaged, the Department of Education (DepEd) noted in a statement. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries from the incident.
Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, the regional executive director of the Commission on Elections-Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR), clarified that the Siaton National High School is not a voting center in the town but was used for the ACMs' final testing and sealing. Fortunately, the ACMs were already secured and returned to the Comelec office in Siaton before the fire occurred. They will remain there until their delivery to the voting centers on Sunday and Monday.
Meanwhile, the DepEd has assured that the school has a contingency plan in place for the opening of classes on June 16.