The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) noted a growing number of complaints regarding alleged overvoting, reported by voters after casting their ballots.
PPCRV Spokesperson Ana De Villa-Singson stated that they have received calls from voters, including a mother and daughter who claimed they only selected four senatorial candidates, but their receipt reflected eight.
Despite several previous automated elections, this is the first time a significant number of alleged overvoting complaints have been reported.
De Villa-Singson further explained that they cannot yet determine if the issue lies with the machine, as the actual ballots have yet to be reviewed.
The verification will be carried out through the Random Manual Audit (RMA) following the conclusion of the elections.
Furthermore, the PPCRV stressed the need to examine the actual ballots to ensure that the machines counted the votes correctly.
"We cannot assess kung tama o mali ang makina kasi hindi natin nakita ang ballot. Hindi natin alam kung ano ang mga marking sa ballot," De Villa-Singson said in an interview with the press.
"That's why I think the Randon Manual Audit is going to be very important to tell us if the machines are really counting properly," she added.
The PPCRV has also received reports of election-related violence, including the incident in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, where the voting process was delayed after a large crowd blocked the transport of Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) and other essential election paraphernalia.
A ballot mix-up was also reported in a precinct in Misamis, preventing the machine from reading the ballots. The problem was resolved after the correct ballots were provided.
