Faulty machines, outages, missing list mar voting

MANILA, Philippines – Disenfranchised voters, defective precinct optical scan (PCOS) machines, oversized ballots, and power outages marred voting Monday in polling precincts in parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila, an election watchdog said.

Ana De Villa-Singson, media director of The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said the reports were coming from their volunteers and concerned citizens across the country.

As of posting time, De Villa-Singson said a number of voters failed to find their names on the Commission on Elections’ Computerized Voters’ List (CVL) posted at the Concordia College in Discrict 5, Manila, Sta. Ana in Manila, and Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan, among others.

“We have a CVL, which also came from Comelec. It makes me wonder because we have the same CVL,” said Singson.

In Batangas National High School in Lipa City, meanwhile, an entire precinct was found to be missing. There was a jump from precincts 64a to 65a, according to a field report quoted by De Villa-Singson.

But De Villa-Singson said that PPCRV Batangas was working on finding the list.

PPCRV also reported defective PCOS machines at the Arellano Elementary School in Caloocan, San Sebastian Elementary School in Ilocos Sur and Bagong Silangan High School in Novaliches.

Earlier in the day, the Quezon Elementary School in Baguio City reported to PPCRV that “the end part of the ballot had to be cut,” because it wouldn’t initially fit the PCOS machine.

“When they tried to feed the ballot, it won’t go in the PCOS machine because the paper was too big,” said Singson.

In Barangay (village) Montaña in Tanauan, Batangas, and nearby places, the power has been out since 8:30 a.m., while in Barangay Malaya Elementary School in Quezon City, “all PCOS machines are not working.”

The absence of a Bureau of Election Inspector, meanwhile, delayed the opening of polls in Barangay Sto. Niño, Marikina. According to the PPCRV report, voting still hasn’t started as of 9 a.m.

De Villa-Singson said Barangay Nangka in Marikina resorted to manual voting and “that the Bureau of Election Inspectors (BEI) will input the in the PCOS machine later on.”

Manual voting also had to be done in Lipa, Batangas because “95 percent of the PCOS machines are not working.”

In Northside View Highschool, the PCOS machine rejected 100 percent of the ballots, “but the Comelec [Commission on Elections] is on their way,” said Singson.

In District 6 in Quezon City, the voting has been “halted,” also due to defective PCOS machines, she said.

Power outage in Barangay Sta. Monica in Novaliches Proper, meanwhile, delayed the voting, as the “wires have been cut and there is no technician available,” said Singson.

In Pandi, Bulacan, meanwhile, all the ballots reportedly have no serial numbers.

Originally posted at 09:28 am | Monday, May 13, 2013