Poll chief: Comelec to issue ‘simple’ vote receipts on May 9  

The Commission on Elections will comply with the Supreme Court order to issue receipts to voters for this year's polls, after they lost their appeal before the high tribunal on Thursday.

In an interview hours after the high court denied their motion for reconsideration, Comelec chair Andres Bautista said: "Ngayong nakapagdecision na ang Supreme Court, we submit and basically we will comply and we will try to do our best to still ensure a credible elections on May 9."

Bautista was thankful that the Supreme Court made a swift ruling, albeit not in the Comelec's favor. Earlier in the day. the high court held oral arguments then decided to affirm its earlier decision ordering the Comelec to issue voting receipts.

"Happy ako dahil kumbaga, puwede na tayong umusad. Personally, I wouldn't have done it... But even if I disagree, I will not be disagreeable. Susundin namin ang desisyon," he said.

According to Bautista, the vote counting machines (VCMs) that will be used in the 92,059 clustered precincts around the country—as well as at least 100 units overseas—will print receipts.

However, these will be "simple" receipts, without identifiable marks such as hashcodes and precinct names.

"Ang mangyayari ngayon, pagpasok mo ng balota, makikita n'yo 'yung onscreen verification nang 15 seconds. Pagkatapos nu'n, mag-iimprenta ng resibo," he said. "Nakalagay lang 'yung 'Republic of the Philippines, Comelec.' Walang precinct number, walang hashcodes, walang security features."

Asked to confirm that elections will indeed be held on May 9, Bautista said: "Yes. Oo."

He pointed out, however, that this is because compliance with the Supreme Court order will not require them to repeat the trusted build of the VCMs.

Per the timeline they presented at the oral arguments, "rebuilding" the code that will run the machines will push the elections back to May 23.

"Maliwanag kanina sa mga tanong, 'Ano ang mangyayari kapag walang trusted build?' Ang sabi namin, makakapag-imprenta ang makina ng simple receipts... So 'yun ang ating susundin. Magkakaroon ng simple receipt, which the VCMs can do right now," he said.

Enabling the feature in the machines will require a reconfiguration of SD cards, two inserted in each unit.

This will take about seven days.

The poll body, however, has to recall some 1,400 SD cards that have already been deployed with their corresponding VCMs for the overseas absentee voting. The cards will have to be sent back in time for the elections abroad, which will start on Apr. 9.

Bautista said the en banc will have a special session on Friday to discuss in detail their move after the Supreme Court ruling.  — RSJ, GMA News