Lacson on defective VCMs: Unintended inefficiency?

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — “Was that unintended inefficiency?”

Senator Panfilo Lacson asked this question on Monday amid reports of vote counting machines (VCMs) malfunctioning as Filipinos voted in the midterm elections.

In a tweet, Lacson said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should be brought to court after the reported glitches of some VCMs.

“Was that unintended inefficiency? First time, maybe.  Second time, we’ll.. okay, let’s see. Third time, let’s bring them to court, or strangle them,” Lacson wrote.

Was that unintended inefficiency? First time, maybe. Second time, we’ll.. okay, let’s see. Third time, let’s bring them to court, or strangle them.

— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) May 13, 2019

In Metro Manila, VCM glitches delayed voting in the cities of Pasig, Makati and San Juan.

READ: VCM glitches mar voting in Pasig, Makati and San Juan

Monday’s elections will be the country’s fourth automated polls. This was first held in 2010, 2013 and in 2016.

For the midterm polls, the Comelec said has deployed more than 85,000 VCMs. Another 7,000 were on standby as a contingency measure. (Editor: Cenon B. Bibe Jr.)

READ: Over 61 million voters to pick 18,072 gov’t officials