Some poll machines fail to read votes accurately

Tests of automated poll machines deployed in some Metro Manila areas and Luzon provinces have turned up discrepancies between the automated and manual counts, according to reports gathered by GMANews.TV. Glitches were experienced and recorded during the first day of tests undertaken for precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines deployed in Makati and Muntinlupa cities and Pateros municipality and Batangas and Mindoro provinces, the same reports said. In Batangas, votes cast for the Liberal Party were instead recorded for its rival Nacionalista Party, LP poll watchers said on Monday, the same day the Comelec revealed plans that certain individuals were planning to delay voting or disenfranchise voters. In a separate report earlier the same day, a poll watchdog warned that some ballots may not be counted, owing to various software issues. Almost 80 percent of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines tested in at least four towns in Batangas counted LP votes for the NP, Aquino-Roxas Bantay Balota municipal coordinator Noel Ascano told GMANews.TV in a phone interview. "Meron kaming minutes ng PCOS testing na approved ng Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) na ganun (We have minutes of the PCOS testing approved by the BEI saying just that), almost 80 percent," he said.

Aquino-Roxas Bantay Balota is a group of volunteers dedicated to the candidacy of LP bets, especially its standard-bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and running mate Senator Manuel Roxas II. Testing and sealing of the PCOS machines are scheduled to be conducted three to seven days before election day, ensuring that the equipment is in good working order. The discrepancies observed on the first day of testing now creates a dilemma for Comelec, which must convince voters that the erring machines can still be trusted to count their votes properly on May 10. The BEIs — composed mostly of teachers — are expected to test 10 pre-shaded ballots and see whether the PCOS unit will be able to read the votes. Kristine Balmes, another Aquino-Roxas Bantay Balota provincial coordinator, said votes cast for their local bets in Sto. Tomas, Taysan, and Tanauan were all counted for their opponents from the NP. "Yung lumalabas na results, sa kabila pa napupunta yung boto (The results show that the votes were being counted in favor of the other camp)," she told GMANews.TV. She even said that there was an instance when all the 10 votes cast for LP Batangas gubernatorial bet Vilma Santos-Recto were not counted in her favor. Reports of other poll watchers in other areas are still being awaited, Ascano said. The Nacionalista Party reported a similar experience in Muntinlupa, Mindoro, Batangas, Makati and Pateros, party spokesperson and senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla said. "In Muntinlupa, only the votes for NP standard bearer Manny Villar were not read while in Mindoro, the votes cast for NP-Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) were not read and only those for Lakas were counted," he told GMANews.TV over the phone. Votes cast for president and congressional positions were affected, Remulla said. The NP also received reports from Pateros that votes in their favor were not counted and only the LP votes were read, he added. In Makati, only the votes for Erwin Genuino were read, he said. Genuino, son of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chairman Efraim, is running under the Bigkis Pinoy Party, which is in coalition with the administration party. "It seems its happening all over the country. It seems there is truth to specter that there will be failure of elections," Remulla added. The Comelec should answer and resolve these charges directly "to give us confidence in the automated elections," he said. Similarly, administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD has observed glitches in PCOS machines, party chairperson Rep. Amelita Villarosa said in a separate interview. In Occidental Mindoro — where Villarosa is running again as congressional representative — votes cast for her in Sta. Cruz town were read by the poll machines as votes for her opponent, Benjamin Tria of the NPC. The ruling party chairwoman said she had reported the incident to the Comelec, hoping for Comelec’s swift action on the matter to ensure that "the will of the people will not be thwarted" on May 10. In another interview, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that they have sent personnel in Batangas to verify the report. He likewise said that the poll body is going to thoroughly check whether it is a software malfunction. "We'll see ano magagawa natin (what we can do)," he said. The spokesman, however, said that people should notice that the supposed discrepancy seems to be an isolated case. "If you think about it, this (testing) is happening all over the country, but only in Batangas [do these problems arise]," he said. Several reports on late Monday also show that besides Batangas, other areas like Makati were encountering the same problems with the PCOS machines. Testing of PCOS machines in Pitogo Elementary School in Makati City showed that the election return printout did not match the manual count, Radio dzBB reported. Ink markings on the front page of the ballot were seeping through the back page, a BEI member at the precinct said. GMANews.TV is still trying to verify the report as of posting time. Poll machine supplier Smartmatic Asia president Cesar Flores said that more than 10,000 PCOS machines were scheduled for testing and sealing on Monday. Testing continues throughout the week. "We are right now monitoring all those installations simultaneously," he told reporters in a text message. - RJAB Jr./HGS, GMANews.TV