MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday, January 15, said the Bureau of Customs has not released around 24,000 vote-counting machines that the Philippines will use in the May 9 presidential elections.

“May mga paperwork pa, so medyo mabagal sila. Inaabutan ng weekends or holidays. Medyo nade-delay nang ‘onti,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said.

(There’s still paperwork, so they’re slow. It takes them until the weekends or holidays. It’s a bit delayed.)

Jimenez said this could be normal “usually for large shipments.”

He pointed out, however, that the Comelec’s case is different because this is “for election purposes.”

He said Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista “is in communication” with Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina, though informally, to expedite the release of the vote-counting machines.

44% of needed machines in

Jimenez said that, all in all, 43,000 vote-counting machines have arrived in the Philipines.

These include the 24,000 still stuck in the Bureau of Customs.

This means the Phlippines has secured 44% of the needed 97,000 vote-counting machines. 

Technology provider Smartmatic has vowed that the Philippines’ new vote-counting machines will be “7 times faster” than the ones used in previous elections.

By choosing to lease these machines from Smartmatic, the Comelec in effect rejected calls to blacklist the Venezuelan firm. 

Critics claim that Smartmatic’s machines can be easily rigged, but the Comelec says it remains confident about Smartmatic.

Smartmatic provided the Philippines’ vote-counting machines in its first two automated elections in 2010 and 2013. – Rappler.com