Comelec-7: Polls In Central Visayas Peaceful Despite 286 Malfunctioned Vote Count Machines (VCMs)

Commission on Elections (Comelec-7) Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said 286 Vote Count Machines (VCMs) encountered glitches yesterday but this did not affect the overall conduct of peaceful elections in Central Visayas.

“There were 286 VCMs that malfunctioned but these were immediately replaced,” to ensure voting would not be hampered, said Mendros during a post-election press conference at the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) this morning.

Mendros said out of the 7,048 VCMs delivered to the region, the number of 286 VCMs that malfunctioned was negligible.

“We had 394 contingency machines that can immediately replace any machine that would malfunction,” said Mendros.

The Comelec-7 director said minor problems like machine glitches are expected and based on reasonable calculation requested for almost 400 contingency machines of which only 286 were used.

Bohol encountered the most number of blip VCMs with 107 followed by Cebu that used 101 contingency machines and 68 in Negros Oriental while Siquijor had 10 VCMs replaced.

Mendros said Comelec is legally required to provide 1,000 VCMs nationwide on standby in anticipation of machine glitches but the agency prepared more than 5,000 VCMs for contingency purpose.

Meanwhile, all the winning candidates in Siquijor’s six municipalities have been proclaimed while in Negros Oriental, election results in 13 localities have been transmitted and winners proclaimed as of 11:00 this morning, said Mendros.

In Cebu, 44 cities and towns have transmitted poll results and winners proclaimed with four more localities awaiting for final results while in Bohol, 13 localities have transmitted election results and winners duly proclaimed while there are 12 more localities waiting for the final results, added Mendros. (mbcn/fcr/PIA7)