Three people wearing fake Commission on Elections IDs were apprehended for trying to inspect automated counting machines at the Silangan Elementary School in Santa Cruz, Laguna, Monday, May 5.

Atty. Patrick Enaje, provincial election supervisor of Laguna, said the suspects arrived at the school at 6:40 p.m. and said they needed to conduct an inspection and checking of the counting machines and security personnel in the said school.

“Noon nakita namin 'yung ID, napansin namin na peke. So immediately after, pinapuntahan namin ng tao ng election officer ng Santa Cruz para i-apprehend at tignan kung sino 'tong mga 'to," Enaje said.

(When we saw the ID, we noticed that it was fake. So immediately after, we sent our Santa Cruz election officer to apprehend and check who are these people.)

Enaje said the suspects may be connected with scammers that were also apprehended and had claimed that they can manipulate the machines. The poll body has said the election results cannot be manipulated.

“Yung integridad naman po ng halalan, hindi nabago ho eh no? Fix na ho 'yan. Talagang 100 percent na sinisiguro namin na walang hacking o dayaan na mangyayari doon sa makina," he said.

(The integrity of the elections will not change. It cannot be changed. It is already fixed. We are 100% making sure that no hacking or cheating will happen to the machines.) 

The apprehended individuals will face charges for usurpation of authority and falsification of public document, according to Enaje.

The poll body is looking into the possibility that the suspects may be previously connected with Comelec and are now pretending to be Comelec staff to deceive candidates running for the elections.

Comelec urged candidates to respect the results of the coming elections and avoid swindlers and scammers.