Broken VCMs stall voting in Cavite

A poll watcher inserts a ballot into a vote counting machine at a mock election in Metro Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

BACOOR CITY, Philippines — A number of vote counting machines (VCMs) in Cavite broke down hours after polling precincts opened on Monday stalling the  votimg, reports gathered by the Inquirer showed.

Elections were stalled in two of 30 precincts at the Molino Elementary School in this city after the VCMs malfunctioned.

Sarah Jane Pascual, a technician for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) here, said the VCMs would not take in ballots at all.

READ: Lanao del Sur, Sarangani residents report VCM errors | Vote counting machine bogs down in Tuburan elementary school

“We already did what we were instructed to do and we have reported it already,” she said.

An election watcher, who asked not to be identified, said they told voters to go home and return when the VCMs are ready.

“But they wouldn’t want to leave, saying their ballots might get lost,” the watcher said.

Sandra Cruz, a resident here, said she would not want to leave the precinct anymore.

At the Tambong Malaki Elementary Schoool in Indang town, another VCM also broke down, said Cavite gubernatorial candidate Jesus Crispin Remulla.

The technical glitch was fixed after an hour, he said./rga