The legal team of independent candidates Sen. Grace Poe and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero has expressed alarm over reports that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has made a last-minute decision to replace hundreds of vote-counting machine (VCM) technicians just a few days before the May 9 automated polls.
Atty. George Garcia, secretary general of the Grace Poe and Chiz (GPC) Legal Team said they have received complaints from a number of VCM technicians whose contracts were suddenly terminated by the poll body for unknown reason.
“We find it strange that said VCM technicians, who had been extensively trained to operate the machines to be used on Monday’s elections, were hastily terminated and replaced by newbies, reportedly some of whom are minors,” Garcia said.
The dismissed VCM technicians were earlier trained by iPlus Intelligent Network Inc., a Makati-based outsourcing firm contracted by the Comelec.
After undergoing a series of training since March, the technicians were made to sign a contract and their names were posted on the Facebook account designated for volunteers for the May 9 elections.
But on May 5, the technicians were informed about a new list. Upon checking, they discovered that their names were no longer in that list, which now contains a new set of technicians.
According to dismissed technicians, they tried to seek an explanation from iPlus, but was told by the company that the “termination order came from the Comelec” without giving any reason.
Atty. Roberto Rafael Lucila, head of the National Campaign for Legal Center, called on the poll body to explain why the VCM technicians were “replaced on the eleventh hour.”
“We urge the Comelec to assure the public that the incident was not a prelude to poll cheating,” Lucila said.
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