All clustered precincts complete final testing, sealing of VCMs but only on election day

Comelec logo and VCM, INQUIRER GRAPHICS

MANILA, Philippines — All clustered precincts have finally completed the final testing and sealing (FTS) of vote-counting machines (VCMs), but only two days after deadline or exactly on election day, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Marlon Casquejo said Monday.

Final testing and sealing of voting machines are being done to ensure that VCMs are in a proper condition and that the machines do not contain existing votes prior to the polls.

Based on the poll body’s calendar, the final testing of VCMs and secure digital (SD) cards should have been finished on May 7.

“I would like to report the conduct of the final testing and sealing, which was done May 2 to 7, and nag-extend po tayo (we extended) May 8 and even kaninang madaling araw (at dawn), May 9,” Casquejo said in a press briefing.

“With the respect to our number of clustered precincts, lahat na po ay nakapag-conduct ng (all of them have conducted) FTS,” he added.

Comelec’s acting spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco earlier said that they had issues with the retrieval of the units, which caused the delay.

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia recently said that some 1,800 VCMs have malfunctioned but the issues were already resolved.

EDV