PPCRV conducts public demo of new vote counting machines

With the acquisition of new vote counting machines (VCMs), a citizens-arm of the Comelec on Saturday launched a public demonstration of the units that will be used in the coming elections.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) initiated the first public demo at the Cardinal Sin Auditorium of the Paco Catholic School in Manila.

According to Henrietta de Villa, PPCRV national chairperson, the initiative aims to familiarize the public, particularly young voters, on how the machine works.

“As part of our task to educate the voters, we also want to introduce to the people the VCM for them to learn more about it and for them to know what they will be using in next year’s elections,” she said.

De Villa also said she had requested the Comelec and Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM), manufacturer of the VCMs, to provide PPCRV with a machine for Saturday’s public demo.

De Villa said those invited to the demo were representatives from the Archdiocese of Manila, dioceses of Pasay and Mandaluyong.

She noted that the same activity will be held next week for the elderly in Cubao.

“Initial demo dito sa November 26 sa Cubao involving 3 vicariates…ito naman for the elders,” de Villa said.

She said PPCRV is planning to bring such activity to the provinces, “Sa November 30 dadalhin sa Legaspi. Para bigyan ng bagong kumpyansa ang tao sa bagong makina.”

De Villa also said that the public demo would serve as training for possible poll watchers.

“Yes parang training na rin sa kanila at isa pa para sa mga bata [upang] maiangat ang kanilang interest. Alam mo naman na ang mga bata, hindi tulad ng matatanda na interested sa technology pero takot sila sa technology. Ang bata hindi. Excited kapag sa technology lalo na sa machines,” she said.

The Comelec will be leasing a total of 97,517 VCMs for the May 2016 polls. — LBG, GMA News