THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao confirmed 110 out of the 3,771 vote counting machines (VCM) had malfunctioned during the elections in Davao Region.
PRO-Davao Marcelo Morales said Monday afternoon, May 13, that malfunctioned VCMs were immediately repaired by the service providers after it was reported.
"While immediate repairs are ongoing, nagshi-shift muna tayo sa manual voting while ginaayos yung sirang VCM," Morales said.
Some voters registration verification machines (VRVM) were also reported to have malfunctioned. However, his office does not have yet the figures.
Krisna Samantha Caballero, Comelec-Davao chair of the City Board of Canvassers, admitted Tuesday evening, May 12, that some glitches on some of its VCM and VRVMs.
She said, though, that the poll body had anticipated the situation.
“As to the VRVM, dili siya hadlok nga problem, since dili man gyud siya direct maka-affect sa automation,” Caballero said.
She said the Comelec is still conducting a study on the reason behind its glitches.
“Nagconduct ta final testing and sealing last May 9, wherein apil ang VRVM sa pagtest and pag seal. OK man siya (The VRVMs and VCMs were ok when we didi the final testing and sealing on May 9),” she said.
Caballero added, “However for some reasons, wala ta kabalo ngano nipalya siya kaganihang buntag. Very technical siya nga problem.”
As of 6:10 p.m., some polling precincts had already transmitted their election results.
She said the Comelec will only be able to identify the total number of malfunctioned VCMs in the city once all polling precincts have fully transmitted their results.
Meanwhile, President Rodrigo Duterte said he said he would leave it to the Comelec to investigate the malfunction.
"If there is any malfunction there, let Comelec explain first to the people before we even initiate an investigation," Duterte said in an interview Monday, May 13, after he voted at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School.
The President said he respects the polling agency as an independent body.