33 VCMs in Calabarzon malfunctioned

Comelec logo and VCM, INQUIRER GRAPHICS

LUCENA CITY––At least 33 malfunctioning vote-counting machines (VCMs) were reported in the Calabarzon region, police said.

Major Mary Anne Crester Torres, Regional Office 4A–public information office chief, reported that as of 12:30 p.m., at least seven VCMs in Batangas did not accept ballots, scanners did not work, papers jammed, or failed to read the ballots.

Torres said five VCMs in Cavite and another seven machines in Laguna had similar errors.

The police also reported that three VCMs in Rizal and 11 units in Quezon also failed to function.

A report said the poll officials in the voting centers with defective VCMs decided to proceed with the voting by asking the voters to fill up ballots.

In another report, the casting of votes in one voting center in Amadeo, Cavite also stopped due to power interruption from 10:10 a.m. to 10:54 a.m.

The Comelec guidelines allow the voting to proceed despite issues with the VCMs and power outages.

Acting Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco explained that voters could fill up the ballots while the VCMs were being repaired.

The ballots can be left at the polling precinct and these will be fed to the machine in the presence of watchers and accredited citizens’ arms.

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