Long lines and issues with vote-counting machines (VCMs) marred Monday’s elections in Davao City.
Voters complained of long queues and long wait before they can cast their vote. This was the result after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) made some adjustments and arrangement in clustering of precincts.
For this year’s local and national elections, the Comelec grouped several precincts to form one clustered precinct, with a dedicated counting machine. This is due to the limitations in automated VCMs. Each precinct also allowed only 10 voters at a time to enter the voting station.
“Two hours ko nagpila. Gutom na kaayo,” said Lorelie Alcebar-Gabunada, a voter at JV Ferriols Elementary School in Lizada,Toril, Davao City.
Lorena Bohol, a resident of Taal 2 in Bangkal has the same complaint. According to her, she was assisting her elderly mother and was hoping to vote together since they belonged to the same polling precinct but she was disallowed to enter the room and was sent back to the long queue.
“Sila na daw mag-assist sa akong mama,” she said while queuing at Leon Garcia Elementary School in Bangkal.
Some of the voters shared that they were asked to wait for two to three hours in the holding area while waiting for their turn.
Golda Meir Veloso said the conduct of voting at her polling precinct at Matina Central Elementary School was well-ordered, however, she was just wondering why voters were not asked to present their identification cards.
“Nagwonder lang ko na wala mi gipangayuan ug ID, DQR verfication. Gitagaan lang mig papel para isulat among name and number sa akong name sa listahan,” she said.
Meanwhile, some voters in Davao del Sur were complaining about issues with VCMs.
Mary Irene Dumagil-Paler said in a text message that early Monday morning, the VCM in her polling precinct at Guihing Central Elementary School was not functioning even before the voting starts.
“Dili na safe among boto kay 8:40 pa lang sa buntag daut na ang machine wala pay labot sa uban precinct. Panabangi pa intawon kadaghan machines nga guba diri sa amoa safe pa ba kaha ang boto sa mga tao?” she said in a text message.
Davao del Sur is among provinces in Davao Region identified by the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) as “areas of concern” due to a history of heated rivalry among competing politicians. The towns found to have intense political rivalry were Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Magsaysay, Malalag, Hagonoy and Padada.
