Local bets get zero votes as PCOS machines malfunction
Misreading of ballots in mock polls has no particular targets in 4 areas
MANILA, Philippines--Is this a prelude to the glitches that might happen in next week's automated elections?
Several vote counting machines in at least 4 localities on Monday failed to correctly read the ballots and tally the votes during mock polls, affecting local positions and raising concerns that a scenario is being created by some quarters to revert the conduct of the polls to the manual system.
Some candidates for local positions in Pasay City; Makati City; Sto. Tomas, Batangas; and Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro got zero votes despite the fact that their poll watchers accomplished the ballots, and should assure them of as many votes in the results.
The malfunctioning of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines spared no political parties and didn't appear to target particular positions.
Smartmatic, the supplier of the PCOS machines, dismissed the reports as "absolutely false" and branded them as "misinformation."
Abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak got the reports from the affected political camps, and got confirmation from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that similar reports from those areas also reached the poll body.
The Comelec is not alarmed by the reports, saying that a 1-week window was really alloted for the testing of the machines, so the defective ones can be replaced by new units. Some 6,000 extra PCOS machines are on stand-by, said Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez.
Machines or ballots?
In Sto. Tomas, Batangas, around 80% of all PCOS machines reportedly failed to tally votes properly for the Liberal Party. Noel Ascano, poll watcher from LP, said that votes for LP candidates in the ballots were read by the machine as votes for opposing candidates in the Nationalista Party (NP).
Highly affected by the machine misreading, he claimed, were votes for the positions of vice mayor and councilors.
In Pasay City, over 20 PCOS machines generated zero votes for mayoralty candidate Consuelo Dy of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).
According to Dy's watcher and daughter Judy, their camp--as did other political parties--sent 5 watchers per PCOS machine in the mock polls.
For instance, in Juan Sumulong Elementary School, the biggest polling center in the city in terms of voters population, at least 3 PCOS machines gave zero votes for Dy. "Purposely for the testing, we should have at least 15 votes there," she said.
She added that even votes for the senatorial race are also seen with some discrepancies.
"We're not sure if the PCOS machines are not reading properly, or if the ballots are marked," Dy said.
The case is almost similar in Makati City. Reports have it that mayoralty candidates Ernesto Mercado and Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. got zero, with the mock votes cast for them by the teachers being credited to another mayoralty candidate, Erwin Genuino.
No IT help
In all cases that were reported, the technical people assigned by Smartmatic for each PCOS machine failed to fix the glitches.
Abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak sources who are involved in local campaigns said they do not believe that rival local candidates are behind the zero votes of some aspirants. They cited intelligence reports that the glitches could be a way to cast doubts on the reliability of the PCOS machines, so that the idea of reverting to the manual system will be easier to sell.
Manual polls, veterans believe, is easier to manipulate.
But Smartmatic dismissed the reports. In a text message, the company said: “Absolutely false. Double check, please. There will be many, if not hundreds, of these misinformation spread in the next days.”
Comelec's Jimenez told abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak that the poll body has sent representatives to the affected areas to validate the reports.
Jimenez said that the reported problem is not a major problem for the poll body. “We still have the situation well at hand,” he confidently said.
If the reports are proven true, he explained that the machines will immediately be recalled and replaced. There are more than 6,000 units of machines available as back-up.
“Kaya winindow na 7 days ang testing ng machines bago mag-election. Here we have a chance to replace the machines if needed,” he said. (abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak)
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LAST CALL FOR MAY 10TH ELECTION
For whatever it’s worth, consider this a final appeal before you go to the polls on Monday: Do not or never ever in your mind vote for Manuel Villaroyo or Erap Estrada.
Do not vote for Manny Villaroyo and Erapoyo because they are corrupt and incompetent. They have done nothing, but misery and bad, to deserve your vote; they will most likely do corruption and will steal more —which most certainly cannot be good—if he becomes president.
Do not vote for Manny Villaroyo and Erap Estrada because they are nothing but an opportunist and leeches in the society. They are heavily indebted to their relatives,cronies, political advisers like Gloria Arroyo and the gang, command-vote buying and financial backers, all of whom will most likely call the parasites and leeches of politics.
Make the important decisions of who we want to rule our beloved country - VOTE for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas tandem) you will be seeing the change if these two will become the leader of our country.
Do not vote for Manny Villaroyo because of the continuing injustice; C5 scandal and the land grabbing from the poor citizen. As a Senator, Manny Villaroyo together with his cronies President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the “Hello Garci” scandal because they needed Mrs. Arroyo’s help to get the Villaroyo's family off the hook in the C5 scandal and land grabbing crimes he and his empire have committed.
When it became clear that the family could not wiggle out of the injustice and the oppressed poor farmers? This poor farmers would be forced instead to give up the lands as their only way of living, It's time to take Manny Villaroyo to court and may he serve and long awaiting jail time for the crime he committed.
Voting for Manny Villaroyo or Erap Estrada as president will continue the farce of Land grabbing, stealing, bribery and corruption for another 4 years in office,
Do not vote for Manny Villaroyo or Erap Estrada because they are liars, opportunist and corrupt politicians in history.
Do not vote for Manny Villaroyo or Erapoyo trapo because they also lied about the security stock exchange scandal . To this day, Manny Villaroyo has not explained and was mute about the issues that he is implicated to and would not want to answer any questions regarding their involvement.
Do not vote for Villaroyo because he is a liar two-faced and traditional politician who is a great pretender as poor and he will say anything to a particular group and buy their votes to get elected as president. He keeps the progressive pro-choice advocates believing that he is for contraception (as he was in the House) and claims to be as his way of getting the votes when he is talking to the Church groups and media. BE CAREFUL OF THIS MAN.
Manny Villaroyo is also willing to dump his long-suffering partner Loren Legarda for Binayorro another pathetic infidels who has nothing but to air out dirty laundry in public just to get the sympathy of voters. But alas, Mar will win anyway
DO NOT LISTEN TO JAIHO because he was paid with huge amount of money from the Villaroyo and like Willie Revillame he is pushing for the opportunist and liar Manny Villaroyo. Let’s make sure that Manny Villaroyo and Erapoyo trapo will not win, if only because you really want to know if they can lead our country to install them in Malacañang, just like their Master Gloria Arroyo the pandak. For one thing, Erapoyo is been proven criminal and was impeach for doing so. Manny Villaroyo will follow suit when new administration kick in. Manny will be kaput and we all hope that the new administration will not pardon this criminal.
And don’t vote for Manny Villaroyo simply because you have fond memories of the scholarship award, and his throwing of money like water to people for them to believe that he is really for the poor? Not because you hate the current president, Manny Villaroyo and Erapoyo are no difference than Gloria Arroyo. They are all the same corrupt and opportunist.
Don’t vote for Manny Villaroyo and Erapoyo because they said, they will not steal again and would make our country a better place to live. Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas vow to curve corruption and will not steal because both are already rich and they are tired and sick of these anomaly and trademark of the corrupt politician in office today.
Everyone knows it is wrong to steal (but not for Manny Villaroyo and Erap Estrada because this is their hobby and way of living)—why would Noynoy be voted into office simply for promising to do what everyone should be doing? "THOU SHALL NOT STEAL" and NOYNOY AND MAR will not steal. THEIR GOAL IS TO CLEAN UP THE BAD IMAGE OF POLITICS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND I HOPE WE ARE ALL FOR IT. I KNOW I AM.....ARE YOU?
AND LASTlY, Please DON’T LISTEN to those corrupt politicians LOYALISTS who are running. THEY HAVE ONE INTENTION, to get your trust and Votes so they can continue their lifestyle of corruption and injustice.
TIME FOR A CHANGE AND LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN AND DO IT ALL TOGETHER.
LP STRAIGHT!
VOTE FOR NOYNOY AQUINO AND MAR ROXAS TANDEM FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT…
GOD BLESS THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES…..
oyam - walang alam - relax ka lang...
eto basahin mo para makita mo ang proof na totoo ang balita >>>
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/04/10/smartmatic-tim-running-out-ti... <>>
http://abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/04/10/comelec-orders-recall-memory-card... <
oyam - walang alam - peace tayo...
eto basahin mo para makita mo ang proof na totoo ang balita >>>
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/04/10/smartmatic-tim-running-out-ti... <>>
http://abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/04/10/comelec-orders-recall-memory-card... <
for gabud.
kung tunay kang marunong gabud. dapat noong una pa ay pumunta kas comelec at sinabi mo mga bagay na yan. ang problema ng iba sa atin ang daming reklamo, hindi pa nakakatulong, nagmamarunong pa. magaling lang dumaldal pag nakatago.
gabud nagmamarunong
fyi nagwowork ako sa IT industry.andami mo sinabi, hindi ka ba nanood ng balita. tinest ang machines sa factory. noond idineploy tinest pa uli. hindi lahat ng company pare pareho ng process kaya wag kang magmarunong ng project management na alam mo. kung tunay kang IT dapat alam mong "walang perpektong sistema". kahit smartmatic sinasabi na posibleng maykaroon ng sira ang ibang machines. kung hindi ko bobo at nagiisip. "walang perpektong sistema" pagdating sa IT.
oo hindi lahat ng balita ay tama. ang ginagawa lang ng media ay magbalita pero hindi nangangahulugan na tama na ito.bago ka magmarunong na feeling mo ay bihasa ka na sa IT pwes hindi lang ikaw ang marunong.
I agree with gabud
Ako isang webmaster and Virtual Assistant ng ilang American Companies.. maglabas nga ng software ilang months pa ung testing para before ma launch ung software ay ready na.. pero kahit nga ganun may ilang bugs pa nakikita.. eh ito is d mn lang na verify muna bago i deploy.. tapos libong PCOS machine pa yan... dapat na verify yan each bago ilabas.. ano ba yan? baka d lang PCOS machine ang may problema pati ng transmission saka ung Ballot mismo may prob din? ngayon nakikita na natin na 6 days to go marami ng prob paano ito ma sosolve in this 6days to go? how can we b sure that this PCOS machine is effective.. natest ba ito for quality standard? kasi mukhang hindi eh.. cp nga tinetest muna ng mga experts... so mukhang failure of election nga mangyayari...
oyam - walang alam...
so ang sinasabi mo eh hindi reliable ang binibigay na balita ng website na 'to? ano yan, gusto mo lang mag comment? kundi ka ba naman...
eto lecture ulit para sayo, at sayo lang...
sa mga "private organization" na may malalaking projects gaya nito, hindi papasa ang ganitong pag uugali. meron silang sinusunod na "project management practices". sa palagay mo isolated lang ang nangyari na yan sa 2 lugar na binanggit? kung isa ka sa 80% ng mga obobs na voters, OO ang sagot mo dyan. Pero kung nag iisip ka, mag aalangan ka sa mga iba pang PCOS machines na nadeploy, dahil "pare-pareho" ang configuration ng mga makinang yan.
Mag isip isip ka muna bago ka bumanat ulit. hindi ako nag mamarunong at hindi ako comment dito para awayin ang kapwa ko Pinoy na bwisit na bwisit na sa panggagago ng basurang gobyerno.
Gusto ko lang mag share ng idea... Entiendes?
Re: Parallel Manual Counting
I respect everyone's opinion but I hope people would realize that doing a parallel manual count will promote transparency. It's not just because of the reports about automated machines failure while being tested (verified/unverified). Don't you think it is a good thing that we will have 2 basis of results (manual & automated) of the election.
I wonder why the comelec is evading this method. Maybe they are afraid that if it turn out that there is a very big discrepancy between the manual and automated counting results it could back fire on them.
parallel manual count is not an option
ano ba kau? mawawala ang diwa ng automated election law kung magkakaroon ng parallel count. bilangin na lang ang balota pagkatapos ng election para iverify. pero parallel? nagpapatawa ba kayo?
bago kayo maniwala, kumpirmahin nio muna kung totoo ang mga nagbalita na may sira ang ilang pcos machines sa makati at batangas. ang daming presinto sa pilipinas pero jn lang lumabas na may sira? pano kung nagsisinungaling mga yon para may dahilan ang iba na ipilit ang parallel manual election.
gabud nagmamarunong
napakapraning nio. siguraduhin nio muna kung yung mga nagreport ay hindi nagiimbento lang para iligaw ang tao. yun kasi iba gustong manual election para makapandaya uli! paano kung mga bayarang tao ang mga watchers na nagreport? ang daming presinto sa pilipinas pero sa ncr at batangas lang may lumabas na sira? nakakapagtaka ito. kapag napatunayan na peke ang reports na ito. ipakulong yan mga watchers na yan.