Cases of VCM malfunction reported

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
Election watchdog Kontra Daya received reports of Vote Counting Machine (VCM) malfunctions in different areas in Davao City in yesterday’s elections.
Kontra Daya spokesperson Rommel Real told EDGE Davao as of 12:35 a.m. yesterday their group received 39 reports comprised mostly of paper jams.
“There are paper jams, there are instances of VCM overheat which resulted to manual voting to some voters,” he said.
Real said the VCM in a clustered precinct in Calinan Elementary School went overheat around 7:30 a.m. prompting the Board of Election Inspector to proceed with manual of voting.
He said there are some 20 voters who underwent manual voting.
He said by 10:00 a.m.the VCM in the precinct was fixed but the voters already went home and some voters who were in the area shaded their ballot on their behalf without permission.
“Wala puy Comelec (Commission on Elections) desk sa skewalahan (No Comelec desk mounted in the school),” he said.
Aside from Calinan Elementary School, VCM in F. Dizon Elementary School was not working since 6 a.m. and many voters left their ballots with the BEI. This made the voters waived their right to check the receipts.
A VCM in Mintal Elementary School malfunctioned and seven consecutive votes were not accepted at 9:58 a.m.
Another VCM in Bayanihan Elementary School in Matina also overheated yesterday around 10 a.m.
In Bustamante Elementary School, a VCM in a precinct experienced paper jam and there was no support given from the BEI around 10 a.m.
The group also received report in a clustered precinct at University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) – Obrero Campus that he shaded the circle of presidential frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte but in the voter’s receipt the name of administration standard bearer appeared.
For her part, Kontra Daya convener Sheena Duazo said there are also complaints of disenfranchisement in some polling areas.
EDGE Davao tried to contact Comelec 11 assistant regional director Marlon Casquejo but to know avail.
However, in an interview with Bombo Radyo Davao, Casquejo said there were no major incidents happen yesterday except the defective VCM which they tried to address as of morning yesterday.