EDITORIAL - Next, a credible count

Canvassing was suspended last night as the Commission on Elections dealt with reports of at least 1,800 vote counting machines malfunctioning. Despite the consequent failure of some voters to cast their ballots, the Comelec rejected calls from some candidates to extend the voting hours in the polling precincts affected by the VCM breakdowns.

As in previous elections, there was a fiesta atmosphere as Filipinos threw COVID caution to the wind and came out in droves yesterday to pick a new set of national and local leaders. Voters were undeterred by the continuing threat of COVID infection. People simply wore masks and had their temperatures checked at the entrances to polling precincts, although it was tough to maintain distancing especially in the first hours of voting.

This zeal to exercise the right of suffrage should be matched by a determined effort to ensure that the votes are properly counted and no one is disenfranchised.

Analysts have said that for financial markets, as important as the winners in the just concluded race is the credibility of the outcome. Although the elections are fully automated, canvassing will take several days for local posts and it could take weeks before the national winners are formally proclaimed.

This year’s election campaign has been among the ugliest and most divisive. Recovery from a once-in-a-century pandemic, with its ruinous impact on public health, lives and the economy, calls for a nation working toward the same goals. Whoever wins the presidency, however, healing the wounds of this bitter race will be a challenge. This becomes even more daunting if the election outcome is under a cloud of doubt.

Comelec-deputized public school teachers supervised the conduct of the vote together with regular personnel of the poll body. The major political parties and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting received copies of the election results for manual comparison and verification in case of questions or protests. The electoral process is supposed to be designed to guard against fraud and ensure that the votes are properly counted. All stakeholders must make sure that the process works and the results will not face serious challenges.