(Eagle News)–The Palace on Tuesday, May 13, backed Senator Koko Pimentel’s calls for a probe into the glitches that marred the voting process.
“Anything that will be for the betterment of this country, we always support. Siguro marami nang nagrereklamo sa Smartmatic, e di let’s have the probe then by the Senate or by the House of Representatives,” Presidential pokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
Panelo also called on the Commission on Elections to review the contract with Smartmatic, which has been the country’s poll technology provider since 2010, following reports some vote-counting machines malfunctioned.
The Comelec had said 1.1% of the 85,769 VCMS were reported defective in this year’s polls.
Senator Grace Poe for instance was forced to return to her polling precinct in San Juan to cast her vote after the VCM refused to accept her ballot.
Former President Jejomar Binay also personally went to the Comelec to complain about the VCM in his Makati polling center rejecting his ballot eight times.
The electoral board decided to give him another ballot after the first one was found to be “dirty.”
“But let me congratulate Comelec, kasi ngayon lang tayo nagkaroon ng within hours nakita na natin ang mga nanalo eh,” Panelo said.
