Reports of problems during the actual voting process came in as early as 5:30 a.m. Sources of reports are Kontra Daya’s monitors as well as reports, and observations from volunteers on the ground. As of 3 p.m., the general trends for reports coming in are:
- Numerous and nationwide incidence of VCM malfunction.
Majority of complaints received by Kontra Daya report incidents of vote counting machine (VCM) malfunctions in many areas around the country. These were in the form of non-functioning VCMs, rejected ballots, paper jams, overheating and machine shutdowns.
Within the National Capital Region, malfunctioning/non-functioning VCMs were reported across 13 cities: Quezon City, Manila, Navotas, Makati, Paranaque, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Pasig, Mandaluyong.
In Araullo High School, Manila, for example, the voting process was delayed for 4.5 hours after the VCM failed to function, following failed diagnostic tests and jamming of ballots and thermal receipts. clustered precincts in Beata Elementary School, Manila, and Tambo Elementary School in Paranaque also reported temporary shutdowns due to malfunctioning VCMs.
Some VCMs broke down after overheating, as in the case of Bayanihan Elementary School in Matina, Davao.
Outside NCR, ongoing VCM malfunctions were already being reported across 20 provinces so far: Batangas, Bulacan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Tacloban, Occidental Mindoro, Naga,Davao Oriental, La Union, Surigao del Sur, Pangasinan, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan, Benguet, Northern Samar.
- VVPAT Discrepancies: failure to print/issue receipts and miscounting of votes.
Another cause for delays in voting are reports of the VCMs failure to print and issue receipts.
As of 2 pm, various reports reaching Kontra Daya have observed that VCMs have failed to print or issue receipts.
In NCR alone, incidents of failure to print receipts have been reported across least four cities. These are: Mariano Marcos High School, Arellano Elementary School, and Araullo High School in Manila; Batasan National High School and San Francisco Elementary School in Quezon City; Paranaque National High School; San Lorenzo Ruiz Elementary School in Pasig; San Lorenzo Ruiz Elementary School and Rosario Elementary School in Pasig; Brgy. Malamig in Mandaluyong;
Outside NCR, reports came in from Pangasinan,
- At Brgy. San Isidro Sur Binmaley,Pangasian – No receipts issued to voter
Incidents of miscounted votes were also reported:
- For senators and partylists
- In Brgy. Bunugan, Baggao, Cagayan, Bayan Muna votes went to An Waray.
- Reported at least three incidents where VCM did not recognize vote for Senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares (CP2383A, Albert ES, Manila and CP219, Tecson ES) in Manila, District 4. The report from Brgy. Manalo, Amulung, Cagayan states that a voter voted for Neri Colmenares but the receipt registered Leila De Lima.
- Local officials
- Nasugbu Brgy Pantalan P 225A. Receipt did not reflct votes 4 local officials – Mayor, Vice M in 1 incident & councilors n another.
- National officials
- Three incidents of voter voting for Duterte but VCM prints out Roxas on the receipt (reported in Burgos ES, Manila – District 4; P. Burgos Elementary School, Manila; CPS418, Brgy Sikatuna, QC-District 4).
Overvoting. In Bagong Ilog ES, Pasig, a voter voted for 12 senators but the receipt says “OVERVOTED.”
- Undue delays in voting process.
The breakdown of the VCMs, coupled with undue delays in the replacement of machines and disenfranchisement of registered voters, has stalled the voting process for as long as two to five hours in some areas.
In Brgy. Kayrilao, Nasugbu, for instance, some precincts resorted to “manual” voting due to VCM breakdown and due to the absence of replacement machines as of 12 nn. In a precinct from Tuao, Cagayan, a VCM machine stopped functioning after processing the first 50 votes. Ground reports from Dontogan, Green Valley Baguio, observed the “total failure” of VCMs.
An earlier report said that the VCM in Vice-Presidential candidate Leni Robredo’s own poll precinct broke down and took almost 2 hours to replace. Some cluster precincts in Paranaque, Makati and Bulacan also experienced voting delays due to ballots being rejected by the VCMs.
- There were also reported incidents of black propaganda against certain party-list groups, vote buying, and harassment and violence. As of this writing, at least one person from Abra has been reported killed.
As of 2 p.m. Kontra Daya received reports of vote-buying in the following areas:
- Bagua, Cotabato City, amounting to P500 allegedly initiated by affiliates of the Liberal Party.
- Bislig, Surigao del Sur, amounting to P3,000 allegedly initiated by affiliates of the Liberal Party.
- San Francisco, Bulakan, Bulacan, amounting to P500
- Rajah Matanda St. Project 4 Quezon City, amounting to P200 reportedly given away by Daniel Dy
- Camalaniugan, Cagayan
- Iriga
Other monitored incidents involve election violence, harassment and/or militarization. The presence of military personnel, armed soldiers or armed PNP elements inside poll precincts have been reported in the following areas:
- Assign Via, Taytay and Bunugan in Baggao, Cagayan
- Labac Elementary School in Naic, Cavite
- Barangay Silhagon, Mapanas and Barangay Cadian, Gamay, Northern Samar
- Wawa Elem School Brgy. Nasugbu, Batangas
Abra remains a hotspot for election-related violence, after SB candidate Joel Donato was shot dead in an incident earlier this morning in Pang-ot, Lagayan and a hostage-taking incident is reportedly ongoing according to other media reports.
- Other incidents reported.
Reports of illegal campaigning done by poll watchers and volunteers have also been received from Baguio; Del Carmen Elementary School in San Fernando, Pampanga (APPEND Partylist); City Central Elementary School in Tagbilaran, Bohol (Kalinga Partylist); Roces, QC and Parang Elementary School Cluster 357 (COMELEC watchers and poll watchers wearing yellow lanyards with ‘Daang Matuwid’).