Philippine presidential candidate and Vice President Leni Robredo displays indelible ink on her finger after casting her ballot in the presidential election at a polling precinct in Magarao, Camarines Sur province, south of Manila on May 9. (Photo: AFP)
By Joseph Peter Calleja
May 10 2022
Robredo supporters voice concern over ‘faulty’ ballot machines, power outages at polling stations
Supporters of Philippine opposition presidential candidate Leonor “Leni” Robredo complained of widespread voting irregularities as the country headed to the polls in presidential and legislative elections on May 9.
Irregularities included being told voting machines had malfunctioned when they went to cast their ballots, with machines being unable to accept ballots or print receipts.
They said voters were forced to leave their ballots with election monitors at polling stations without seeing them inserted in voting machines.
Such a state of affairs left the door open to widespread cheating, they said, adding election officials also did not present proof that the voting machines were indeed faulty.
“They said the voting machine was faulty so they collected all our ballots and put them inside a box. They asked us to leave and told us that once the machine was repaired, they would insert the ballots themselves,” said one Robredo supporter in Caloocan, Manila, who wished to remain anonymous.
In Manila’s business district, a voter complained when her aunt who voted for Robredo inserted her ballot in a voting machine but the vote was counted in favor of the pre-election favorite Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, who held a double-digit lead in support prior to the election.
“We fell in line at 6am. This is a Robredo region but we’ve been encountering technical glitches such as power interruption that delay the voting
“My mom and I were OK … but when my aunt’s ballot went in for VP Leni the receipt showed Marcos Jr for president. What magic is this?!” Iska Que said on Facebook.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said contingency measures were in place for malfunctioning vote-counting machines.
“We have designated technicians to address these technical glitches … we also have spare counting machines,” acting Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco told reporters on May 9.
Laudiangco, however, said that if there were not enough machines voters should wait for technicians to fix the broken machines.
Supporters of the vice president also said there were power outrages that delayed voting in areas where Robredo had strong support.
“We fell in line at 6am. This is a Robredo region but we’ve been encountering technical glitches such as power interruption that delay the voting,” Gerald Dumlay from Camarines province, south of Manila, told UCA News.
Camarines is Robredo’s home province.
Meanwhile, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas urged Filipinos to vote according to their conscience and what their faith has taught them.
“When you vote, be who you are. And who am I? I am Jesus through baptism. So, vote like Jesus. When you vote like HIM, you win,” Archbishop Villegas said. – UCA News
