Resolution No. 9210

WHEREAS, under A.M. No. 10-4-1-SC, the authentication of ballots in revision proceedings in election contests involving elective municipal officials "shall be through the use of the PCOS machine actually used during the elections in the subject precinct, or by another device certified by the Commission to be capable of performing the desired authentication requirement through the use of the bar codes and ultraviolet ray code detection mechanism."

WHEREAS, the limited number of the PCOS machines has caused undue delays in the allocation of the PCOS machines among the courts where election protests are pending.

WHEREAS, in Resolution No. 9164, this Commission, has already dispensed the authentication of contested ballots through the use of PCOS machines and adopted the use of bar codes and ultraviolet ray code detection mechanism i.e. UV lamps as a means to authenticate the contested ballots in election protests pending before it.

NOW, THEREFORE, in view of the foregoing, the Commission RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES, to AUTHORIZE and CERTIFY, pursuant to Rule 10 Section 6 (e) of A.M. No. 10-4-1-SC, the use of commercially available UV lamps or any other ultraviolet (UV) ray code detection mechanism capable of detecting the presence of a hidden security bar code printed in the upper portion of each ballot used in the May 10, 2010 National and Local Elections. The revision committee shall likewise check the ballot ID and the clustered precinct number indicated in each ballot so as to assure that the ballots being recounted are the same ballots specifically assigned to the contested clustered precinct.

The Education and Information Department shall cause the publication of this Resolution in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

Le the Executive Director and the Electoral Contests Adjudication Department implement this Resolution.

SO ORDERED.