Despite faulty VCMs, polls in Central Visayas generally peaceful, says Comelec exec

CEBU CITY—Despite some faulty vote-counting machines (VCMs) and a shooting incident in Lapu-Lapu City, the elections in Central Visayas were generally peaceful and orderly as of Monday noon, May 9.

Lawyer Dennis Ausal, regional director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), said authorities have not received any untoward incident as people chose the country’s next leaders.

The poll body, however, announced that some VCMs malfunctioned in different provinces of the region.

Ausal said some of the machines could not process the ballots, while others were not able to release the voting receipts, causing fear among the voters that their votes would not be counted.

The Comelec, however, assured voters that all their votes would be counted.

“If the VCMs show errors, the voter has an option to wait while the machine is being fixed or leave the ballot to the electoral board,” Ausal said.

“This is the protocol that we ought to follow. This process, I assure you, is not anomalous,” he added.

Brigadier General Roque Eduardo Vega, director of the Central Visayas police, said the shooting incident on Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City could not be considered election-related.

“We found out that the victim was killed due to a personal grudge,” he said.

Unknown assailants at past 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 8, shot dead Jose “Sadam” Quiros, a village councilor of Barangay Tungasan, Olango Island.

Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Paz Radaza is offering P300,000 for information that could lead to the identity and arrest of the gunman and mastermind in the killing of a village councilor.

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