Comelec mulls renting VCMs instead of buying
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections said it is always considering to rent vote counting machines (VCMs) instead of buying them to lessen costs.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia in an interview with the ABSCBN’s “TeleRadyo” on Sunday said the poll body is also not given enough funding by the Congress. Garcia also noted that the problem involves the constant updates in technology.
“Kasi pag bumili tayo tapos after isang gamit ay may bago nanamang teknolohiya — parang cellphone, e ‘di ang mangyayari dun ibabalewala mo. Masyadong magastos,” Garcia said.
(Because if a new technology comes along after buying one set — it’s like when you buy a new phone, what will happen is you’ll set it aside. It will be too expensive.)
Some 1,867 VCMs across the country encountered “common issues” not even halfway through the voting period on Monday. Machines had paper jams, rejected ballots, scanner and printing problems.
Defective machines, meanwhile, were around 900 and 200 VCMs were replaced during Monday’s polls.
Garcia said VCMs could only handle 10,000 ballots. While the machines would only cater to some 800 ballots per precinct on voting day, he said these would also be used for the final testing and sealing and for the poll body’s roadshows.
Comelec acting spokesman John Rex Laudiangco previously said that the machines used for this year’s elections were already nine years old. The machines that encountered problems on Monday led to voters waiting in line for hours, some waiting to cast their ballot even after the voting period.
Garcia wants the machines used for this year’s polls to be “retired” by the 2025 midterm elections and hopes the Congress would provide the poll body ample funding.
“Sana nandun yung pagnanais ng ating kongreso na mabigyan din kami ng sapat na budget. Alam niyo po yung nangyari kasi nung nakaraan kung kami ay humuhingi ng sampung piso, binibigyan kami ng dalawa o tatlong piso, so kitang-kita niyo ‘yung difference ng kakulangan,” Garcia said.
(I hope the Congress will show a desire to actually give us enough budget. What happens is if we ask for P10, we will be given P2 or P3, so you really see the gap between the proposed budget versus what is given.)