The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting has pulled out its volunteers in one polling center in Basilan due to violence.

The poll wachdog also observed some issues affecting a few automated counting machines in other parts of the country.

PPCRV Spokesperson Ana De Villa Singson said there was an encounter in Barangay Langil in Basilan on the eve of the elections so they decided to pull out its team in the affected village. But she clarified that they still have volunteers in other parts of Basilan.

“PPCRV pulled out our volunteer due to safety concerns. Apat raw kagabi nasawi ang buhay because there was an encounter between a former barangay chair and a former mayor. It could be election-related,” Singson said during her first media briefing of the day.

Singson also gave a rundown of other reports received by the PPCRV Hotline including the replacement of the electoral board (EB) in eight precincts in Rosary Heights in Cotabato also due to possible violence.

“Nireplace ang mga EBs ng armed forces, mga police. This is a security measure. Nag-agree ang EBs because their lives were in danger,” she said.

Many of the complaints received by PPCRV were due to issues affecting some ACMs. Singson said in Caloocan, at least 3 ACMs at the Caloocan Elementary School and Kaunlaran Elementary School refused to receive the ballots. This also happened in one ACM of Reta Elementary School in Davao.

In Navotas, 2 machines stopped working, but was later cleaned and functioned again.

“Meron cleaning kit ang ACMs, so please use the cleaning kits. Meron kasamang cleaning kit ang ACM kasi yun ang nalaman nila sa Navotas na kapag nilinisan, ok naman raw ang machine,” she said.

There was a delay in the arrival of the ACMs in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte. While there were complaints of disenfranchised voters in Bingangonan, Rizal.

PPCRV has given these updates on complaints received in the first two hours of the voting period. Its hotline 0919-0577278 remains open 24/7.

'SLOW ACM READ IRREGULAR' - ELECTION WATCHDOG

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers – NCR shared that the voting is slower this election year compared to previous years due to the automated counting machines’ (ACMs) slow read of voting ballots.

Danilo Arao, convenor of election watchdog Kontra Daya, however said on Monday, May 12, that the ACMs should be able to read ballots within 10 seconds or less.

“If it takes as much as two minutes or more to read the ballots, this is irregular,” said Arao, through the alternative media fit Bulatlat.

ACT-NCR's Union president Ruby Bernardo said during an interview with Teleradyo Serbisyo at 10 a.m. of May 12: “Marami doon sa mga schools natin, kahit dito sa NCR (National Capital Region), sinasabi na medyo matagal yung pag-initialize ng mga ACM natin kaya sa ngayon, bagama’t limang oras na po na nakabukas yung mga presinto, ay mayroon pa rin tayong mga senior citizens, PWDs (persons with disabilities), pregnant women na nakahalo na sa ating general voters."

Voters started to line up as early as 4 a.m., but lines remained long five hours after the voting precincts opened, said the alliance.

Due to the delay, she projected the voting to end around 8 or 9 p.m., two hours late than the supposed 7 p.m.

Bernardo urged the voters to exercise patience and not redirect anger to the teachers, saying that the teachers have spent their nights in the schools in preparation for the early voting hours.

She called on the government to provide teachers with overtime pay and exempt the tax on their election compensation.