CEBU CITY (Updated 1: 24 p.m.) -- Cases of defective Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, lack of memory cards, and massive vote buying were among the problems noted during the second automated elections on Monday.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said voting in 96 clustered precincts went on as scheduled but still suffered problems such as lack of PCOS machines and compact flash cards that will store poll results.
Teopisto Elnas Jr., Comelec acting deputy executive director for operations, said affected areas include Metro Manila and Zamboanga City.
He said the PCOS machines will come late because these underwent repairs at the Comelec warehouse in Cabuyao, Laguna due to problems encountered during the final testing and sealing of the equipment last week.
"There will be batch feeding of ballots into the PCOS machines once these arrive," Elnas told reporters at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, site of the poll body's command post.
Separately, partylist group Kabataan said it has received "notable incidents" in the first few hours of the elections.
These were the lack of serial numbers of ballots in Pandi, Bulacan; the declaration of failure of elections in some parts of the Cordillera Administrative Region, not a "single" functioning PCOS machine in Batasan Hills, Quezon City, 800 ballots in Compostela Valley have been switched with those intended for Baguio, 95 percent of PCOS machines in Lipa, Batangas reportedly malfunctioning, eight out of 12 PCOS machines for Zamboanga not arriving in time for the elections, polling in more than 100 precincts all over the country delayed due to defective PCOS machines, and chaos and overcrowding in large precincts.
Kabataan president Terry Ridon feared the problems are part of a "massive, organized and planned" electoral fraud, which the group said will only benefit administration candidates.
"All these reports are susceptible to CF Card mismatch, meaning that the internal memory of PCOS machines may have been switched beforehand, also, the overwhelming number of rejected ballots is cause for concern as there will be many disenfranchised voters. PCOS machines that have been replaced may have already been inputted with a fixed number of votes for a certain candidate," he said.
Former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal in a television interview said technical glitches for this year's election are negligible. In 2010, 400 PCOS machines did not work.
Replacements of defective PCOS machines may be expected within the day, said Cesar Flores, president for Asia of poll technology provider Smartmatic International.
Comelec has more than one reserve PCOS machine in each municipality, for a total of 2,000 nationwide.
"It's natural that there will be some issues. We need to monitor within the day," he said.
Flores also underscored the need to manage expectations in the country's second automated polls.
"Election is the only project in the world that takes place within the day. Teachers are heroes. You have to understand that they have short training. You cannot expect them to be experts, how to fix machines, deal with public, etc," he said.
"There are intrinsic limitations to running an election and that has to be understood by the people," said Flores.
Records show 52,014,648 registered voters are expected troop to the 77,829 precincts nationwide to cast their votes. Comelec said there are 78,900 PCOS machines ready for Monday’s elections.
A poll watchdog expressed dejection over the defects exhibited by the PCOS machines in several polling precincts, saying this only shows that the technology of Smartmatic should not have been re-used.
In a statement, Kontra Daya co-convenor Dr. Gani Tapang said it is unacceptable that problems continue to abound in the second use of the PCOS machines in the country despite having three years in between.
"The fact that we are seeing numerous cases of PCOS failures, malfunctions and delays only underscores the long-held observation that we were duped by Smartmatic," said Tapang.
He said that because of this, there is no more reason for the Comelec to opt for the PCOS machines anew come the 2016 polls.
"Taxpayers paid P1.8 billion for these PCOS machines. Comelec allowed the electorate to be shortchanged. This should be the last time we use these machines," said Tapang.
Wrong ballots
In Antique province, a coordinator of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said wrong ballots were delivered to them.
In Baguio City, switching of ballots intended for precincts in Benguet and Compostela Valley and has affected 858 voters from Clustered Precinct 22 at Gabi Elementary School in Compostela, Compostela Valley and an undetermined number of voters in Benguet's Clustered Precinct 122 at Rizal Elementary School in Baguio City.
Baguio Comelec Officer Reddy Balarbar declared a failure of election in four clustered precincts in Lualhati village due to the switch.
A special election will be set for the affected polling precincts as the official ballots will come from Manila.
He did not cite any reason for the exchange but stressed this will be resolved by locating the ballots of the barangay. He also did not give the exact date of the special polls adding this will be announced soon and will only inform barangay officials of the date and time of special elections.
Norma Bustarde, Lualhati village chief, said they waited since 7 a.m. to vote but they were not allowed by BEIs until the Comelec decides on their situation.
"We even went here despite the rains just to vote but this thing happened," she said.
Bustarde added many of the residents were disappointed with the ballot switch considering the special polls will not be declared a holiday.
Election Day, May 13, is declared a special non-working holiday.
City Treasurer Alicia Onoza said this is the first time in the history of Baguio to experience ballot switch. She said they have released election paraphernalia as early as May 12 in the morning.
Some 143,230 registered voters are expected to cast their votes in 215 clustered precincts in 59 voting centers in Baguio.
Vote-buying
The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, ordered units in the field to strictly monitor vote-buying in their respective areas following intelligence reports of massive vote-buying.
Senior Superintendent Edward Carranza, Central Visayas Police Directorial Chief of Staff, said Camp Crame ordered directors in the field to come up with total amounts of money that were confiscated on suspicion of being used for vote buying.
Reports reaching the Central Visayas Police Regional Office showed three incidents of vote buying. On Sunday, Aldwin Anonas was flagged down in a checkpoint in Pinamungajan and was found carrying eight sample ballots with three P300. Anonas is now detained for election violations.
In Sibulan, Negros Oriental, Ricky Academia and Jo-on Laurente were arrested at a checkpoint in Pamplona after found in possession of money suspected to be used for vote-buying. Recovered from the two were P20 bills amounting to P7,000 and ballot flyers.
A mayoralty candidate of Maribojoc, Bohol turned over more than P24,000 in cash to police authorities on Sunday. According to lawyer Jose Veloso, he met Cabawan village chief Marcial Quiwag and former village chief Nalzaro on board their respective motorcycles.
Nalzaro panicked and dropped a sack containing 136 plastic packs with sample ballots and P24,480 in cash.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) urged candidates to order their supporters not to leave trash in polling places, and remove campaign posters and banners after Monday’s midterm elections.
"It is about time we change the face of Philippine politics with clean elections defined not only by an intelligent electorate, but a trash-free one as well,” said Environment Secretary Ramon Paje.
He also asked local government leaders, whether they win or lose, to conduct post-election clean up drive in their respective localities.
“Voluntarily making May 14 as a cleanup and recycling day is the best way of finishing off a good fight, the nicest way of saying ‘thank you’ to the electorate, and the quickest way of putting the politically divisive campaign behind us," said Tin Vergara, zero waste campaigner of environmental group EcoWaste Coalition.
Earlier, the DENR teamed up with the Commission on Elections and the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the launching of a campaign dubbed "Basura-Free Election 2013: Kalat Ko Sisinupin Ko."
The three agencies issued a joint memorandum circular (JMC) to make sure that local officials, political parties, party-list organizations, candidates and their supporters would adhere to the provisions of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, during the campaign period.
RA 9003 provides for a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management system to ensure the protection of public health and the environment through the adoption of environmentally sound methods like waste avoidance and volume reduction.
Litterbugs, upon conviction, shall be fined between P300 and P1,000 or render community service from one to 15 days or both. (Virgil Lopez/HDT/JM Agreda of Sun.Star Baguio/Sunnex)