FACT CHECK: Comelec debunks claim of ACMs altering votes in Lanao del Sur

The Commission on Elections said the post, which circulated amid the BARMM polls, is malicious and baseless. The poll body added that an automated counting machine cannot manipulate a ballot’s results.

AT A GLANCE

• A claim that an Automated Counting Machine (ACM) altered ballots in the BARMM elections was rated FALSE by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
• The claim originated from a Facebook post alleging a mismatch between the voter's choice and the receipt produced by the ACM, which gained significant traction online.
• Comelec emphasized that the ACM cannot manipulate results and warned against spreading false information, highlighting potential legal consequences.

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Claim: An automated counting machine (ACM) in Butig, Lanao del Sur altered the ballot cast during the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim was posted on Facebook on September 14 by a user named Zeddie DM.

The post shows an alleged photo of the voter receipt produced by an ACM, which supposedly reflected a vote mismatch. The user wrote, “BGC ang lumalabas kahit UBJP ang binoto.”

([Bangsamoro Grand Coalition] appeared on my receipt even though I voted for [United Bangsamoro Justice Party].)

The post later gained traction after the Facebook page Boss Mil reposted the claim. As of writing, it has amassed over 1,400 reactions, 200 comments, and 600 shares.

Comments on the post speculated fraud in the elections and called for manual counting of results. 

The facts: The Commission on Elections, in a Facebook post on September 14, said that the circulating post is false, has no basis, and is a malicious imputation meant to mislead the public about the voting process.

“Palaging binabanggit ng Comelec sa bawat voter education campaign na ang Automated Counting Machine (ACM) ay hindi kayang manipulahin ang resulta ng balota. Kung ano lamang ang shinade na bilog sa balota ay iyon lamang ang babasahin ng ACM at i‑record sa voter receipt,” the poll body said.

(In every voter education campaign, Comelec consistently emphasizes that the Automated Counting Machine cannot manipulate election results. The machine reads and records on the voter receipt only the circles actually shaded on the ballot.)

Comelec also reminded the public of the implications of spreading false information under the Omnibus Election Code. The poll body said that those undermining the integrity of the elections may face imprisonment of one to six years. 

BARMM polls: The post circulated amid the historic BARMM parliamentary elections, which marks a historic milestone in the region’s transition from the 2014 peace agreement between the Philippine government and the MILF to a functioning parliamentary system. (LIVE UPDATES: First BARMM parliamentary elections)

During the September 14 polls, election watchdogs flagged alleged violations, including reports of pre-shaded ballots, vote-buying, voter coercion and unauthorized assistance, and the presence of armed people inside voting centers. – Lourence Angelo Marcellana & James Bones/Rappler.com

James Bones is a Research and Data volunteer at Rappler. He is a fourth-year Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila.

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