MARAWI CITY — The Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines deployed in at least three towns in Lanao del Sur experienced errors as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) were preparing the polling centers, hindering the timely start or even dooming its being pushed through Monday.
According to poll watchdog Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), as of 10:00 a.m., their monitors reported that balloting has not yet kicked off in the towns of Lumba-Bayabao, Lumbaca-Unayan and Madalum because of defective PCOS machines.
In Lumbaca-Unayan, no testing was done on the machines prior to the opening of the precincts Monday morning.
Amid the defective machines, the BEIs packed their bags, along with the election officer.
There is also 50 percent odd of starting the balloting in Bayang town. As of Sunday evening, the PCOS machines deployed in the area continue to be non-functional.
In the areas where PCOS machines were in good condition, voting has not started because of security and administrative concerns.
In Marawi’s Banggolo district, only two of six clusters were able to accommodate voters as of 9:30 a.m. because of undelivered election paraphernalia which were still being dispatched from the City Hall.
Some precincts also took more time to do the PCOS machine initializing, delaying the actual start of balloting.
In Tubaran town, mayoral bets quarreled over who should be assigned as BEIs in precinct clusters, alleging that some of them are partial to particular candidates.
The confrontation threatens to slide into a formal declaration of a failure of election in the town.
In Masiu, the BEIs have failed to mobilize because of the non-appearance of the election officer as of 8:45 a.m.
Voting proceeded in the towns of Ramain at 8:25 a.m., three of four clusters in Poona-Bayabao at 8:25 a.m., Binidayan at 9:30 a.m., Malabang at 7:45 a.m., Marawi’s Saduc cluster at 8:50 a.m. and Balabagan at 9:29 a.m.
In Ramain town, one technician is overseeing an average of three PCOS machines when supposedly it is one personnel for every machine because many technicians never reported to work.
Apart from lack of personnel, some also observed lack of competence among the technicians manning each PCOS machine.
In one district of Marawi, technicians are not able to solve the concerns on some PCOS machine concerns, hence, voting had to wait.
During the testing and sealing activities in Bayang town on Sunday, poll monitors said the assigned technicians are having a hard time going through the process as they have to dig through their notes again.
The precincts clustering created longer queues of people waiting for their turn inside the polling center. Those who were able to line up for ballots as early as 7:00 a.m. were done by 10:00 a.m.
Security
The Philippine Army has deployed troops and two armored vehicles to patrol around Marawi City to keep peace and order.
Based on a resolution from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the entire Lanao del Sur is placed under its direct control.
In Saguiaran town, which is on the border of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte, the Philippine Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion set up a lock-up cell “for flying voters” marked as such.
With a hammock inside, the cell is located along the road which is very visible to passersby.
On Saturday, two buses and a jeepney full of passengers coming from Cagayan de Oro was temporarily held by Army troopers on suspicion of being flying voters.
When asked, the passengers said they were bound for Marawi where jobs awaited them.
But Brigadier Gen. Rey Ardo, commander of the Army’s 103rd brigade, said they have to eventually let the travelers pass because there was no reason to block or to disallow them into Lanao del Sur.
Ardo explained that the suspicion is only rendered speculative because there was never any proof of them being flying voters.
But the passengers were all asked to write their names and were each taken photographs.
“We were up to advocating to them against being flying voters,” said Ardo.
Voter guidance
Even as balloting officially started 7:00 a.m., many voters appear clueless about the way voting is done under the automated election system.
A radio in Iligan City has been providing voters guidance on how to vote, as well as entertaining a host of questions sent in through text messages relating to very basic information like over-voting, under-voting, what happens when not voting for any bet in a contested position. (Ryan D. Rosauro)