LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) — The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Ilocos Norte emphasized the importance of combating fake news amid circulating online allegations of vote tampering in Laoag.
Lawyer Joel Gines, COMELEC Ilocos Norte provincial election supervisor, denied social media posts claiming that votes in Laoag City were being altered after passing through Automated Counting Machines (ACMs).
Gines dismissed the allegations as fake news and pointed out that the ACMs used across the province had undergone proper final testing and sealing procedures earlier in the day, before being deployed for the May 12 (Monday) elections.
“We conducted final testing and sealing and no one filed a complaint. Also, the same machines used during the testing are the ones we are using today. The 10 test ballots used earlier are the same ones we’re using now. We haven’t received any complaints,” Gines said.
Gines emphasized the credibility of the vote-counting process by citing the results of the machine testing.
“First of all, those reports are fake news because our machines were tested during the final testing, and the results from the manual and physical count were compared with the machine count in the election returns,” he added
He also reminded the public that if a voter notices any discrepancy in their ballot receipt, it is crucial to report it immediately to the authorities with proper evidence to support the claim.
Gines also addressed the possible cause behind concerns of overvotes raised by some voters.
According to him, the ballot has a 15 percent threshold, meaning even a faint mark or partial shading may be recognized by the ACM as an intentional vote.
“Though I cannot say for sure that this is the case, it is possible that that’s the reason—if there really was unintentional overvoting. Only the position where the voter overvoted will not be counted. But the rest of the ballot, if valid, will still be counted,” he said.
COMELEC continues to urge the public to be discerning and avoid believing in unverified information, especially during such a critical time, to help preserve the integrity of the democratic process. (CCMT/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)
