IN a bid to hasten the processing of poll protest cases related to the May 9 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday advised all electoral tribunals and regional trial courts to use hand-held ultraviolet (UV) lamps to determine the authenticity of official ballots instead of requiring the production of poll equipment and paraphernalia.
In Resolution No. 10794, poll paraphernalia such as vote counting machines (VCMs) or consolidated canvassing system (CCS) laptops will no longer be necessary.
“The Commission resolves to advise the electoral tribunals and regional trial courts to use any commercially-available hand-held UV lamps, which is hereby authorized and certified to be capable of detecting UV marks in the determination of the genuineness and authenticity of the official ballots,” said the Comelec.
It also said SD cards containing election returns and digital ballot images may be de-crypted and printed to determine how the VCM read shades on official ballots.
The Comelec said it issued the advisory as there are orders or requests from electoral tribunals and regional trial courts for the production of the VCMs, CCS laptops, SD cards and other election documents, equipment, and other paraphernalia.
The requests, it said, are being made for purposes of authenticating ballots and determining how the VCMs read the shades on the official ballots.
To note, election protest cases related to the polls are filed before the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, and regional trial courts.
