Piston expresses deep concern over reports released by the Makabayan Coalition citing 29 incidents of automated counting machine (ACM) errors and 15 cases of red-tagging on election day, as of 10:00 AM, May 12.
These reports include ballots being rejected or mishandled by ACM, smudged ballots, overvoting issues, manual ballot collection due to machine failure, and discrepancies in the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). Each of these incidents casts doubt on the reliability of the automated election system and fuels public distrust in the process that is supposed to reflect the people’s will.
Equally alarming is the continued red-tagging of progressive electoral candidates — a clear form of voter intimidation and a violation of democratic rights. These tactics have no place in a free and fair election.
Piston stands with the Makabayan Coalition in calling for a manual count as an essential safeguard to protect the integrity of the vote. With growing public concern and repeated technical failures, a transparent manual verification is not only reasonable — it is necessary.
We urge the COMELEC to take immediate action, investigate these incidents thoroughly, and ensure accountability. Democracy demands more than just a vote — it demands a process the people can trust.