An official from the church-based poll watchdog Archdiocesan Citizens Engagement Committee – Parish Pastoral for Responsible Voting (Ace-Com-PPCRV Davao) revealed on Tuesday that errors were detected in the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) set to be used in the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) during the Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) process in Davao City.
Ace-Com-PPCRV spokesperson, lawyer Aileen Lizada, explained that the FTS serves as a critical dry run before election day, ensuring that ACMs are functioning properly and that all necessary components are in place.
“FTS is like a dry run before the election, allowing us to inspect whether the ACMs are complete and operational. However, we received reports that some areas were unable to proceed with FTS today (Tuesday) due to missing ACM components, requiring rescheduling while awaiting further instructions,” Lizada said.
Ballot Reading Issues
During the FTS, Lizada personally tested an ACM and flagged inconsistencies in how the machine read ballots. She explained that voters must select 12 senators, but during her test, she deliberately voted for 13 candidates to see how the machine would handle overvoting. However, instead of flagging the error, the ACM only registered 11 votes—ignoring two of the selections entirely.
“When reviewing the ballots with Comelec, we discovered that if a candidate’s name is boxed but the corresponding circle is not shaded, the machine does not count that vote,” Lizada explained. “For instance, if I voted for 14 candidates and two of them had boxes outside their circles, the ACM ignored the boxed selections—leading to only 11 votes being recorded.”
Machine Malfunctions and Operational Delays
Further technical issues arose during the FTS at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS), where ACMs malfunctioned, and some areas failed to conduct testing altogether.
Lizada urged voters to shade their ballots properly to avoid lost votes.
“PPCRV is taking the extra mile to test the limits of these machines, but voters must also ensure they shade properly to prevent errors,” she stressed. “This serves as vital information for all voters—when exercising your right to vote, do so with care to avoid losing your choices due to faulty markings.”
Awaiting Further Testing Schedule
Ace-Com-PPCRV continues to monitor the threshold capabilities of the ACMs, assessing how they handle varying ballot conditions.
“We want to determine the machine’s limitations. While the proper approach remains to shade accurately, we at Ace-Com-PPCRV are pushing the boundaries to see how much the machine can process,” Lizada stated.
The group is currently awaiting a schedule update from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regarding the next round of FTS, pending logistics coordination.
“We are waiting for updates from Comelec, which still needs to coordinate with F2 Logistics on the delivery timeline for election materials,” Lizada confirmed.
Addressing Concerns Over Internet Connectivity
Responding to concerns that connecting ACMs to the internet could enable election fraud, Lizada reaffirmed that under Comelec regulations, ACMs are strictly prohibited from internet connectivity during the printing of election returns.
