Nightmare over for Comelec chief Melo

With more than 30,000 election machines already delivered to the Philippines, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Jose Melo said the preparations for the May 2010 elections are back on track. “I would like everybody to know that we have caught up with our deadlines," he told reporters Monday before the meeting with the Cabinet members on the updates on the poll automation process. Melo said that as of Monday, 32,000 of the 82,200 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines have been delivered to the Philippines and are now being stored in a warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna. He added that all the batteries of the PCOS units, marking pens, and laptops that would be used for the May polls are also being stored in the same warehouse. “So ang nightmare ko nagiging panaginip na (So my nightmares are finally becoming dreams). I believe that we are going to have an honest, orderly, and credible elections," he said. Melo asked the public to help them in their efforts. “I invite everybody to come dream with me. Let us dream together. Let us make this dream come true for our country and our people," he said. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMANews.TV