Corrupted SD cards also affected overseas voting – Comelec

An SD card is inserted into a new vote counting machine at the San Jose Elementary School in Makati after a defective VCM delayed proceedings on Election Day on Monday, May 13, 2019. (Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) admitted on Sunday that corrupted SD cards also affected overseas voting during the midterm elections.

Comelec Director Frances Arabe said that problem of corrupted SD cards overseas was delaying the proclamation of winning senators and party-list groups.

“The SD cards are corrupted, and the replacements have to come from our Santa Rosa warehouse, our hub. That’s why it took time because they had to ship the replacement SD cards,” Arabe said in a press briefing on Sunday.

Arabe said that if the SD cards had worked properly overseas COCs could have been transmitted by 6 p.m. (Philippine time) on Election Day, May 13.

She also noted that the supplier of the SD cards for the overseas voting was S1 Technologies Inc. and Silicon Valley Computer Group.

S1 Technology was also the one responsible for the 1,665 SD cards that malfunctioned during the midterm polls here in the Philippines.

READ: 961 VCMs, 1,665 SD cards suffer glitches in 2019 polls — Comelec

The SD card contract was worth P22.6 million.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon has already expressed her objection to paying S1 Technology in full.

READ: Comelec exec: Supplier of SD cards should not be paid in full

The Comelec is considering imposing penalties on S1 Technologies for the glitch.

READ: Comelec eyes penalties vs suppliers of faulty VCMs, SD cards, pens

As of 7:20 p.m. of Sunday, the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, was still waiting for the COCs from Japan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Washington, DC, in the United States.

Comelec expects to finish the canvassing by Monday and proclaim the winners on Tuesday or on Wednesday.

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)