Comelec spox: Lack of reports a sign that most voting precincts are now open

LOOK: Scenes from Itbayat Central School in Batanes province on election day. Residents check their names on the voters list. Isolation booths are also set up for those exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. The first voter was at 001A Sta Rosa precinct. (NATHAN ALCANTARA)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is taking the lack of reports about voting precincts failing to open as a sign that most polling areas are now accepting voters, its spokesperson said on Monday morning.

According to Comelec director John Rex Laudiangco, they do not have the statistical data as of now, but they believe that polling precincts have opened at a high rate.

He said that they tend to focus not on feedback that a precinct has opened, but on reports that a precinct or a school encountered problems.  So far, Laudiangco said there were no major reports.

“So far I don’t have the statistical data yet, we really have to go through the details later po ano.  But so far, judging from the non-issuance of reports, we’re optimistic po na napaka-taas ng percentage ng pag-open natin (that a high percentage of precincts have opened),” Laudiangco said in Comelec’s first briefing after the start of voting hours.

“Kasi ang mas pinapatuunan ko po dito no, dahil busy na po ‘yong electoral boards at election officers, hindi po ‘yong report na nakapag-open ako, nakapag-open kami ng ganito.  Ang mas binabantayan po namin yong nag-report na may problema dito, meron kaming issue dito, hindi kami naka-simula,” he added.

(Because we are focusing here — because electoral boards at election officers are already bsuy — we are not looking at whether precincts are opened, or when they have opened.  We are monitoring reports of problems and issues that prevented polling areas from starting.)

Laudiangco however assured that Comelec is ready to respond to reports of irregularities, saying that several offices are keeping their lines open.

“So kung wala po kaming natatanggap na gano’n, tatlo po ‘yong naka-open namin na lines d’yan.  One is the national tech support for technical issues, the command center, and here po, kahit po dito, naka-open kami to receive those reports,” he said.

(So if we cannot really receive reports, we have three open communication lines there.  One is the national tech support for technical issues, the command center, and here, even here, we remain open to receive those reports.)

“At ngayon po wala kaming natatanggap na major issues and that’s a good indication po na maganda ang ating voting na nagaganap,” he explained.

(And now, we have not really received any reports of major issues and that’s a good indication that the voting process is proceeding very well.)

Polling precincts are open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, but several areas have reported issues through social media or mainstream media.  Like in Cotabato City, several teachers opted not to take part as board of election inspectors (BEI) due to safety concerns, which prompted Comelec to replace the BEI with trained personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP).

There were also reports of vote counting machines (VCMs) malfunctioning or hanging despite going through final tests.  Comelec however assured that technical teams are addressing the issue.

/MUF