ON the heels of the arrest of individuals supposedly capable of manipulating poll results by hacking voting machines, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday alerted candidates and political parties against a new scheme being used by scammers to dupe poll bets.
In a press conference, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they have received reports syndicates have approached candidates for money, claiming they can use invisible ink to shade ballots to ensure that votes for rival candidates would not be counted.
“There is a new scheme now and it does not involve the machines but in the printing of the ballots that will supposedly have secret shading,” said Garcia.
“Under the scheme, they will supposedly put invisible ink in the name of the paying candidate. Thus, if the voter votes for a different candidate, they will have shaded two names and will therefore not be counted by the machines,” he furthered.
IMPOSSIBLE SCHEME
Garcia stressed that such a scheme cannot be pulled off as they have strict security features in the official ballots to be used in the May 2025 polls as well as in the National Printing Office (NPO), where ballot printing operations are ongoing.
“That can never happen. That is impossible,” said the poll chief.
As to the supposed manipulation of poll results via hacking, Garcia said such a modus operandi had long been offered by syndicates to candidates in past electoral exercises.
“For several elections, these syndicates had been operating claiming to know someone from the Comelec, close to the chairman or commissioners, or know someone from the service provider,” said the former poll lawyer.
He said he is saddened candidates would still consider such schemes instead of focusing on their campaigning efforts.
“Why are they talking to them? They still want the quick and easy way to win, in case such offers are true. They shouldn’t be talking to those people,” said Garcia.
For her part, Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino urged candidates given such offers to come out and expose those behind such schemes.
“If they were approached by these people, come out and tell us,” she added.
On Tuesday, the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) reported the arrest of three persons claiming to be Information Technology (IT) specialists with connections to the Comelec.
The three suspects reportedly tried to extort P90 million from two candidates in Enrile, Cagayan, in exchange for their victory in the May 12 polls.
The suspects allegedly work in a Parañaque City-based IT firm that is supposedly connected with the Comelec.
