Dumaguete: The Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) in the capital city of Negros Oriental has acknowledged the official clarification from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regarding the ballot count 'discrepancy' reported during the May 12 polls at a clustered precinct. The issue has now been resolved.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DEB and its partner, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), have confirmed the clarification issued by the Comelec and the PPCRV National Headquarters in Manila. This clarification addressed the previously reported discrepancy concerning the number of ballots cast in a clustered precinct located in Barangay Calindagan.
Msgr. Julius Perpetuo Heruela, DEB convenor, stated on Tuesday that they had sought clarification from Comelec after complaints were received about an alleged ballot count discrepancy. He emphasized Comelec's authority in explaining the situation, noting the DEB's role in maintaining vigilance as election watchdogs.
The controversy centered on a mismatch between the number of ballots scanned by the automated counting machine (ACM) and the actual number of voters recorded. Initial data from the poll body indicated that 956 ballots had been cast, while only 814 voters were officially documented, leading to public concern.
Comelec later clarified that the issue was due to mislabeling of data. The 956 figure represented the total scanned ballots, including valid ballots as well as those that were rejected and subsequently reinserted by the ACM. Furthermore, Comelec explained that a single voter's ballot might be scanned multiple times if rejected and reinserted during the process.
PPCRV national spokesperson Ana de Villa-Singson provided a similar explanation during a May 16 press briefing, as noted by the DEB. After corrections by Comelec, the number of valid ballots now accurately corresponds with the number of recorded voters.
With the resolution of the ballot count issue, the DEB urged the public to exercise caution in believing or disseminating unverified and misleading information. The DEB statement emphasized the importance of relying on trusted and authoritative updates from Comelec, PPCRV, and other accredited election watchdogs.
Msgr. Heruela reaffirmed the DEB's commitment to promoting clean, honest, accurate, meaningful, and peaceful elections, aiming to uphold truth and strengthen democracy through transparency and the common good.
