No delay in delivery of automated counting machines for 2025 polls

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said the delivery of the automated counting machines (ACMs) from South Korea that would be used for next year's midterm polls is on schedule.

In a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said 200 ACMs are set to arrive in the country this month while the bulk of the equipment would be delivered in the next few months.

The poll body is renting a total of 110,000 ACMs for the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) from the Joint Venture of Miru Systems Co Ltd, Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc. (MIRU-ICS-STCC-CPSTI).

Laudiangco said the 20 demonstration machines arrived in May while the expected 200 ACMs this month will have the customization features asked by Comelec.

Once approved, 20,000 machines will arrive in August, 30,000 the following month and so on until all 110,000 are delivered by December.

"On time pa po tayo. Wala po tayong delay (We are on time. We are not experiencing any delays)," Laudiangco said.

He likewise noted that there have been no glitches so far in the ongoing demonstration tests being conducted in key areas.

Laudiangco said part of the demonstrations is the use of "marked" ballots.

"At iyong part ng security features po, may timing marks po iyan. Iyan ang sinasabi namin kapag iyan ay nalagyan ng marka o sinadya man o hindi sinasadya ay talagang hindi babasahin ng makina dahil iyan ay (As part of security features, the ballots have timing marks. That is what we are saying. If these get marked, whether intentional or unintentional, the machines would not read them because that is a) security feature," he said.

"Sinubukan din po namin ito at pinakita natin sa lahat na iri-reject ang balota (We tested it and we showed to everyone that the ballots are rejected)," he added.

He also said the ballot papers would be locally manufactured. (PNA)