Delays, sweltering heat, ACM issues: 2025 midterm elections face challenges
Despite extensive preparations, Philippine elections consistently face a range of issues, with this year's midterm polls saw some precincts experiencing delays despite long preparations.
Philippine National Police spokesperson Jean Fajardo said that as of 7:09 a.m., or just a few minutes after regular voting hours started, only 34,494 or 91.92% of polling centers, have been casting ballots.
Fajardo said technical glitches and power interruptions were among the reasons for the delays.
Such delays were reported in Central Luzon, Northern Mindanao, Cordillera Administrative Region, Davao Region, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The Commission on Elections, for the first time, allowed senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities to vote starting at 5 a.m.
About 42 malls nationwide were also designated as polling precincts, specifically catering to the 12 million registered senior citizens and 600,000 PWD voters.
ACM rejecting ballots?
Several voters also reported cases of automated counting machines rejecting their ballots. Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco noted that ACMs reject ballots if the timing marks were tampered with.
"Kapag binigay sa atin ang balota, inspeksiyonin mabuti," Laudiangco said. "Walang punit, walang marka, walang guhit, lalong-lalo na sa timing marks. Kapag may dumi o guhit diyan, papalitan ninyo."
He noted that voters are given three chances to feed their ballots to the ACM upon rejection and that the electoral board won't replace defective ballots if the voters caused such defects themselves.
"Pero kung makikita sa botante na wala siyang kasalanan, talagang madumi ang balota, hindi napapalitan," he said, "papapalitan namin ang balota."
Laudiangco also assured Filipinos that nobody could touch their ballots before being fed to the ACM. He was reacting to claims that someone may supposedly shade empty ovals if a voter decided to undervote for certain positions.
He reminded them that they may verify their votes through the ACM screen. The machine will also release receipts bearing their votes.
Miru Systems
This year's ACMs came from Miru Systems of South Korea, marking a change in the country's voting system after using Smartmatic's vote-counting machines for over a decade. ACM is advertised to have faster vote transmission, improved security, and enhanced verification features—while also being cheaper than the VCM.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia previously shared the ACM's features compared to VCM, including a processing speed of 220 millimeters per second versus VCM's 70mm, which translate to shorter lines; a 12-inch display where voters may verify their chosen candidates unlike the screenless VCM; receipts that include QR codes unlike the codeless VCM; and battery packs that meant the machine may run even without an electrical outlet, unlike the VCM.
However, the ACM's supposed bells and whistles still raise suspicions.
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines' election initiative, International Observer Mission, said independent audits can't be made with ACM's system design.
Voters who had cast their ballots online were reportedly unable to visibly verify their chosen candidates. These things, according to observers, may stir doubts regarding the manipulation of votes.
Moreover, countries that made use of Miru reported several issues. During its 2018 elections, Iraq reported ACMs failing to transmit accurate election results. In the same period, Congo reported several precincts experiencing equipment malfunctions.
High heat index kills man
It's not just defective ballots or ACMs that pose problems, but also the day's sweltering heat.
In Oas, Albay, the heat killed a 65-year-old man after casting his ballot. Bicol police chief Andre Dizon said Nestor Rensales felt dizzy while still inside the precinct at Oas South Central School.
Rensales collapsed and ultimately met his end.
In its May 11 forecast, state weather bureau PAGASA said 28 areas are set to have heat indexes hitting the "danger" level on May 12.
Sangley Point, Cavite, and Catarman, Samar are forecast to have the highest heat index level, at 45C.
Other areas with heat indices hitting the "danger" level include:
- Tayabas City, Quezon – 43C
- San Ildefonso, Bulacan – 43C
- ISU Echague, Isabela – 43C
- Ambulong, Tanauan Batangas – 43C
- Legazpi City, Albay – 43C
- Juban, Sorsogon – 43C
- CBSUA-Pili, Camarines Sur – 43C
- Roxas City, Capiz – 43C
- Mambusao, Capiz – 43C
- Dumangas, Iloilo – 43C
- Butuan City, Agusan del Norte – 43C
- NAIA Pasay City, Metro Manila – 42C
- Laoag City, Ilocos Norte – 42C
- Dagupan, Pangasinan – 42C
- Bacnotan, La Union, 42C
- Tuguegarao City, Cagayan – 42C
- Cubi Pt., Subic Bay Olongapo City – 42C
- Infanta, Quezon – 42C
- Coron, Palawan – 42C
- San Jose, Occidental Mindoro – 42C
- Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – 42C
- Cuyo, Palawan – 42C
- Masbate City, Masbate – 42C
- Iloilo City, Iloilo – 42C
- Guiuan, Eastern Samar – 42C
- Maasin, Southern Leyte – 42C
Heat index is the level of heat or discomfort a person experiences due to the air temperature and relative humidity, or the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, accounting for that “nanlalagkit” feeling.
PAGASA has released a classification threshold, adapted from the United States' National Weather Service, on how the heat index can affect a person.
