MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Pasig City mayoralty candidate and Councilor Vico Sotto chose to delay voting for the 2019 midterm elections after the vote counting machine (VCM) at his precinct reportedly malfunctioned.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 voted yet kasi sira 鈥榶ong machine kung saan ako boboto.聽 Hindi siya gumagana,鈥� Sotto told reporters at the Valle Verde 5 covered court on Monday.
Sotto arrived at the polling area at 8:43 a.m. with his mother Connie Reyes.聽 As Reyes queued up to vote, the candidate was informed that the VCM was not functioning.
He was given the option to shade his ballots and leave them with election officers, which would then be fed by the board of election canvassers when a new VCM arrives.
Actress Connie Reyes (left, foreground) arrives at the voting center at the Valle Verde 5 covered court in Pasig City to cast their votes on Monday, May 13, 2019. INQUIRER.NET / GABRIEL PABICO LALU
Sotto however chose to return once the VCM is fixed or a new VCM is delivered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
鈥淚 am very cautious pero nanawagan ako sa lahat ng botante, sa lahat ng poll watchers, sa lahat ng Comelec officials, sa lahat ng Pasigeu帽o na maging vigilant pag dating ng 6 pm na ipapasok na 鈥榶ong mga balota,鈥� Sotto said.
鈥淢agbantay tayo nang husto para hindi tayo masingitan ng mga balota na galing sa iba dyan, na na-shade na hindi botante talaga 鈥榶ong nag-shade.聽 鈥榃ag tayong matulog at 鈥榳ag tayong magpahinga hangga鈥檛 hindi nata-transmit 鈥榶ong mga galing sa mga machine,鈥� he added. (Editor: Cenon B. Bibe Jr.)