Ched Rick Gatchalian

Lines remain at precincts at the Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City as the polls close by 7pm on Election Day, May 9, 2022. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

WRAP: Alleged issues in automated Halalan 2025

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174712211049905092022-lines-remain-at-precincts-at-the-corazon-elementary.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Lines remain at precincts at the Corazon C. Aquino Elementary School in Quezon City as the polls close by 7pm on Election Day, May 9, 2022. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — While some voters rejoiced at the better polling precint experience in several areas and eased process due to technological advancements, the conduct of 2025 national and local elections has also raised concerns over alleged irregularities.</p><div><strong>DIFFERENT NAMES REFLECTED ON VOTING RECIPTS</strong></div><p>The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on Monday said it has received reports that some who failed to fill out all 12 slots in senatorial options had seen &quot;additional names reflected&quot; on their voter-verified paper audit trail — which they did not vote for.</p><p>PPCRV Spokesperson Ana Singson said these incidents can only be reviewed through random manual edit since their group has no access to the actual ballots of the complainants.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/12/wrong-candidate-names-on-voter-receipts-alarm-ppcrv-1406">Wrong candidate names on voter receipts alarm PPCRV</a></div><p>At Palmera Hills Precinct 0198, a voter&#x27;s receipt showed names completely different from the candidates they chose.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DdJXovl_sQo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong>ACM SLOW READING, SENSITIVITY</strong></div><p>In Caloocan, Singson cited reports that at least three automated counting machines (ACM) at the Caloocan Elementary School and Kaunlaran Elementary School had refused to receive ballots.</p><p>The same situation also occured in one ACM of Reta Elementary School.</p><p>In Navotas, two machines stopped working, but were usable again after being cleaned.</p><p>Meanwhile, a &quot;slower reading&quot; of ACM has been observed this year compared to previous elections, according to The Alliance of Concerned Teachers – NCR.</p><p>ACT-NCR Union president Ruby Bernardo told Teleradyo Serbisyo in an interview that while voters lined up early, voting ended around 8 to 9 p.m. due to some delays brought by from ACM issues.</p><p>“Marami doon sa mga schools natin, kahit dito sa NCR, 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.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cR666j5oSQ0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself experienced a glitch after his own ballot jammed inside the machine when he voted at the Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in Batac, Ilocos Norte.</p><div><a href="http://&gt; https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/5/11/marcos-jr-mom-imelda-cast-vote-in-ilocos-norte-0756">Marcos encounters ACM error while feeding ballot</a></div><p>This prompted the electoral board members to assist Marcos Jr. in repeating the process.</p><p>The Commission on Elections explained that it quickly replaced ACMs that would show even a slight chance of malfunctioning. It also urged the public to carefully inspect ballots and make sure there is no tear, mark, or lines.</p><p>&quot;&#x27;Yung timing marks, guide, &#x27;yun ang kadalasang reason bakit niluluwa. By the way, pag niluwa ang balota, bibigyan kayo ng tatlong pagkakataon para isubo ang balota,&quot; Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/12/ppcrv-gets-reports-of-poll-violence-automated-counting-machine-issues-0902">PPCRV gets reports of poll violence, automated counting machine issues</a></div><div><strong>POLL VIOLENCE, RED-TAGGING</strong></div><p>PPCRV has pulled out its volunteers in one polling center in Basilan due to a supposed violent encounter between a former barangay chair and a former mayor.</p><p>“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 detailed.</p><p>She also stated that in some precints in Cotabato had their electoral boards replaced with police for safety.</p><p>“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.</p><p>In Zamboanga del Sur, a man was killed and another got injured due to a suspected case of election-related violence.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/5/12/one-killed-1-injured-in-suspected-poll-related-violence-in-zamboanga-del-sur-1342">One killed, 1 injured in suspected poll-related violence in Zamboanga del Sur</a></div><p>Meanwhile, two people died while eight others were hurt in a shooting incident in Barangay Mambulac in Silay City, Negros Occidental. </p><p>In Lanao del Sur, an unidentified gunmen has killed a candidate for a municipal council seat in Bayang town and his brother.</p><p>Voters meanwhile in Bangued, Abra were in panic after a gunfire near a polling center hurt two people.</p><p>PNP said as of 6 p.m. of Monday, the<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/12/4-killed-12-injured-in-poll-related-incidents-on-may-12-pnp-1801"> total people killed during the election day were 4 while 12 others were injured.</a></p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VwANWvxFAmI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>In Marawi City, a riot sparked between two groups on elections day.</p><p>Meanwhile, Kabataan Party-list decried a red-tagging spree through &quot;casket&quot; gimmick against party-lists running under the Makabayan bloc.</p><p>On Monday morning, Kabataan said there were reported incidents in Quezon Avenue, Tomas Morato, Albay, San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan and San Isidro in Tarlac City.</p><p>“Kilos-kilos naman COMELEC! Laganap na ang red-tagging buong 90 days ng kampanya pero wala pa ring napapanagot,&quot; said Kabataan 1st nominee Renee Co.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MISSING NAMES, VOTE-BUYING INCIDENTS</strong></div><p>Some voters reported that they were unable to cast vote due to missing names in polling precincts.</p><p>Makabayan senatorial candidate Amirah Lidasan on Monday encountered this problem at the same school in Barangay Bugasan Norte, Matanog, Maguindao where she also voted in 2022.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/5/12/senatorial-bet-amirah-lidasan-fails-to-vote-due-to-missing-name-in-voters-list-1501">Senatorial bet Amirah Lidasan fails to vote due to missing name in voters&#x27; list</a></div><p>Vote Report PH, an alliance of individuals and organizations aiming for fair elections, meanwhile said vote buying incidents compose the 2.13 percent of reports it has received on election day.</p><p>Moreover, PNP stressed it has recorded 43 incidents of vote-buying and vote-selling in the Philippine from January 12 until May 12.</p><p>On Tuesday, several groups held a protest rally in Roxas Boulevard against the 2025 election irregularities.</p><p>Bayan Muna, Grabriela, Karapatan, and Kilusang Mayo Uno particularly called out the &quot;inaccuracy of vote count&quot; from ACMs and the decreased number of votes in the vote turnout.</p><p>They are also calling for manual vote count amid the said anomalies.</p><p>As of 3 p.m., PPCRV had already begun its unofficial parallel count of the 2025 elections. </p><p>The poll watch dog received 2,314 printed election returns (ERs) as of 1:40 p.m.</p>

<p>From issues in automated counting machines (ACMs), missing names in voting precincts, poll violence and red-tagging incindents — the conduct of 2025 national and local elections encountered a number of alleged irregularities.</p>

From issues in automated counting machines (ACMs), missing names in voting precincts, poll violence and red-tagging incindents — the conduct of 2025 national and local elections encountered a number of alleged irregularities.