CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is optimistic that the purchase of new and modern vote counting machines (VCMs) will reduce issues related to vote buying. During his visit here Wednesday, Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said part of the budget allocation is the procurement of new VCMs that will be more transparent to the public. "There will be a (centralized and unified) data center that would instantly show instant results in every precinct," he said. One key feature of the new VCM is a 14-inch viewing screen that shows all the ballots cast by voters, and all stakeholders are allowed to view them. "This will answer the public's question on whether their votes were counted," Garcia said. Through this transparency feature, political operators are discouraged from buying votes because it will show how voters choose their preferences without revealing their identities. Garcia said the procurement of new VCMs is part of Comelec's vision of "enhancing democracy through mode rn technology." Source: Philippines News agency