The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting on Monday gave an update on concerns raised by several voters who cast their votes in different polling precincts around the country on May 12, 2025.

PPCRV Trustee and Spokesperson Ana de Villa Singson said the PPCRV received several reports from voters who were unable to fill out all 12 senatorial slots, yet their “Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail” (VVPAT) reflected additional names they claimed they did not vote for. 

She said there was no way for the PPCRV to verify these claims as they did not have access to the actual ballots used by the complainants.

PPCRV gets reports of poll violence, automated counting machine issues

Villa-Singson said these incidents can be reviewed during the random manual audit, which checks the integrity of the vote-counting machines. 

Another incident was reported at Palmera Hills Precinct 0198, where a voter's receipt showed names completely different from the candidates they had voted for.

There were also reports of malfunctioning vote-counting machines, which delayed the voting process and caused long lines in some polling centers. She reminded the Electoral Board to strictly follow Comelec procedures, after receiving reports that election personnel at a precinct in Antipolo Dalig National High School allowed voters to cast their ballots manually—something PPCRV strongly discourages.

According to Comelec, such technical issues should be reported immediately to the Department of Education Supervisor Official (DESO), who is responsible for relaying the issue to the National Technical Support Center (NTSC), which would then deploy personnel to address the problem.

Election officers may also attempt to resolve issues by using the cleaning sheets included in the ACM kit, running them through the machine two to three times. 

Comelec noted that this often resolves common malfunctions, and emphasized that precincts should not resort to manual voting without guidance from COMELEC.

The PPCRV also received complaints from Marilao, Bulacan, where senior citizens were reportedly not allowed to be assisted by their companions. The group reminded the Electoral Board that senior citizens and persons with disabilities are legally entitled to assisted voting, as mandated by law.