Poll exec denies absence of UV lamps to verify ballots abroad

A Commission on Elections (Comelec) official on Friday denied reports that no ultraviolet (UV) lamps would be used to verify the ballots in Singapore and Hong Kong — where there will be automated voting for Filipinos beginning Saturday. "Actually for Hong Kong, ayos na ang arrangements dito (all the arrangements are in order) regarding the UV lamps. All special board of election inspectors (SBEI) will use UV lamps," Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal told GMANews.TV in a text message. Larrazabal issued the statement after Comelec spokesman James Jimenez and Commissioner Armando Velasco on Thursday said they were not sure if there were UV lamps prepared in the Philippine posts abroad. Larrazabal is currently in Hong Kong in preparation for the beginning of overseas absentee voting (OAV), which will last for 31 days starting April 10 at 8 a.m. (designated country time) until May 10 at 6p.m. Only Hong Kong and Singapore will be conducting an automated OAV. He said they have 20 UV lamps prepared in Hong Kong while he expects that "there should be one per SBEI" in Singapore too. "We arranged it already with the consulate," he said. Larrazabal said that two weeks before the start of OAV, the poll body already talked with the Philippine posts onsite to provide the UV lamps. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Malaya earlier said the poll body can use the UV lamps that consulates and embassies use to verify passports. Handheld UV lamps Earlier, the Comelec said that it will be using handheld UV lamps to verify the authenticity of the ballot after the high-speed printing of the ballots caused misalignment of the UV marks, making it hard for the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine to read the security feature. But political analyst Ramon Casiple, a member of the Comelec Advisory Council, disclosed that the voting machines could not read the security features because poll machine supplier Smartmatic-TIM actually failed to supply the correct ink for the UV marks. The UV marks are one of the security features that will prove that the ballot is authentic. The other security features include the unique ballot paper, a bar code, Comelec markings, and the unique precinct-based numbers on the ballot. The Comelec decided to automate the polls in Singapore and Hong Kong based on the number of voters and the feasibility of holding automated elections in these countries. Singapore has 31,851 voters while Hong Kong has 95,355, which when combined would make up 20 percent of the total number of overseas voters. Registered Filipinos in other countries abroad, however, are only given two options to vote: by going to the consulate or embassy or by mail. A total of 140,132 voters are expected to avail of postal voting while 300,695 are expected to choose personal voting. Asked if there seems to be any problem regarding the OAV as of posting time, Larrazabal answered: "None." — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV