More groups are demanding the manual counting of votes when the polling precincts close tonight at 7PM.
After the Makabayan Coalition made the demand to revert to the manual count, anti-poll fraud group Kontra Daya, Bayan Muna Partylist and the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) said it is the only way to uphold transparency in the ongoing elections.
The groups said that aside from doubts raised by the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) use of an “updated” but unaudited automated counting machines (ACM) software, there are cases of “over voting” even if there are only slight smudges in the shaded circles.
The ACMs also do not reflect real votes but those that come before or after their preferred candidates, Kontra Daya reported.
Kontra Daya said the problems are the responsibility of Comelec, not the voters.
The poll body should immediately order all Board of Election Inspectors to conduct manual counting to preserve the sanctity of the ballot, it said.
Bayan Muna meanwhile focused on the “questionable” use of an unaudited software that “raises serious doubts about the integrity of the election process” in pushing for a manual count.
“The only acceptable software during election day should be the one that has passed thorough review and certification. Any unverified updates, especially those that change hash codes, undermine the reliability of our automated elections,” Bayan Muna second nominee Atty. Carlos Zarate said.
“We are calling on the Comelec and all voters to remain vigilant. If the results from the machines are questionable, manual counting must be immediately implemented. Every vote is precious—dapat bilangin nang tama at makatarungan,” the party’s first nominee Atty. Neri Colmenares for his part said.
READ: With unaudited software use, Makabayan demands manual vote count in today’s polls
CenPEG also expressed “deep concern” over numerous reports of miscounting by the ACMS it said “undermines the credibility of the electoral process and further erode public trust in automated election technology.”
The think tank said its long-standing advocacy for manual counting at the precinct level is justified by the developments.
“We have always maintained that automation without transparency is a threat to democracy,” CenPEG chairperson Prof. Roland Simbulan said.
“The recurring failure of ACMs – especially during the most critical hours of voting – should compel Comelec to seriously consider restoring manual counting at the precinct level where the votes are cast and witnessed,” Simbulan added.
Comelec has yet to respond to calls for a nationwide precinct-level manual count at the end of the voting hours tonight.
Major party PDP-Laban last April 28 also demanded a manual counting of votes, saying Comelec must adhere to Section 31 of Republic Act No. 9369 mandating that ballots must be read aloud and individually counted at the precinct level. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
