THE Archdiocesan Commission on Elections Monitoring-Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (ACE-COM PPCRV) reported several concerns during the final testing and sealing (FTS) process for the automated counting machines.
ACE-COM PPCRV spokesperson Atty. Aileen Lizada said that among the concerns they have observed were the tents and posters bearing candidates’ names. She, however, added that these incidents had already been reported to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), and that some of the names at the tent had already been covered, and the candidates’ posters near schools had either been removed or folded.
One particular instance they had observed was the tent used with a candidate’s name at Rafael Castillo Covered Court, cluster number 704, in Barangay R. Castillo, District 2. The names were eventually covered with white plaster.
Lizada emphasized that tents displaying candidate names may constitute an election violation if not covered or removed.
“They will issue guidance… na patanggalin kung patanggalin baka ipa-cover kasi bawal talaga yun [remove it; if it cannot be removed, it may be covered — because it’s really prohibited],” she said.
Earlier, Comelec conducted an FTS in preparation for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE), scheduled for May 12, 2025.
During the FTS at Davao City National High School, ACE-COM PPCRV raised concerns about glitches in some of the automated counting machines (ACMs). However, the group reported that most of the machines were functioning properly.
Lizada encouraged voters to shade the circles on their ballots correctly to ensure their votes are accurately counted by the ACMs.
Meanwhile, Comelec-Davao Assistant Regional Director Gay Enumerables clarified that the glitches were due to improper shading. She stressed the importance of correct shading to ensure votes are properly read by the machines. RGP