Taking picture of VCM screen should be allowed – Marcos

(Photo from Marcos’ official Facebook page)

MANILA – Vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. offered a compromise on the issue involving the issuance of voting receipts on the May 9 elections to be able to follow the law and to be beneficial to the voters

Marcos said that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) should allow voters to take pictures of the screen of the vote counting machines (VCMs) immediately after they cast their votes.

“Siguro ang compromise eh doon sa screen (ng VCM), pumayag sila (Comelec) na kunan ng picture- bawal kasi ang camera, telepono sa loob para makunan lang ng picture yung screen kung ayaw talaga nila magbigay ng resibo. Mabilis lang naman ‘yun eh,” he said.

The lawmaker believed that it is a “win-win” compromise, which would allow the Comelec to implement its decision against printing of vote receipts and at the same time grant voters the chance to verify their votes.

The poll body has decided not to enable the vote receipts feature of the VCM but activated the onscreen verification system where a voter has 15 seconds to view his vote and verify if it was accurately read by the machine.

Marcos said the law stated that voters should be issued vote receipts.

“Ang batas maliwanag na maliwanag, sinasabi na it is a confirmed printed record; may record ang bawat botante,” he said.

He added, “Sinasabi ng Comelec na masyadong matrabaho, masyadong matatagalan (‘pag nag-print ng receipts). Kaya sinasabi ko, sige kung ganun ang sitwasyon eh ‘yun na lang ang compromise, makunan (ng literate) ang screen.”