Marcos is ranked second to the ruling party’s vice-presidential candidate Leni Robredo in the vice-presidential race, according to the latest polling tally. / AFP PHOTO / TED ALJIBE
(Eagle News) The camp of vice-presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., claimed on Wednesday that a “new script” was introduced into the transparency server of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Monday night (May 9), pointing to this as the possible cause of the sudden erosion of vote counts for the senator.
“We received unsettling information that at past 7:30 p.m. on May 9, 2016 Election Day, a new script or computer command was introduced to the transparency server – the very same server from which the PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting) obtains its data for the quick count,” said Atty. Francesca Huang, lawyer for the Marcos camp,during a press conference at Marcos’ headquarters in Mandaluyong.
While the Marcos camp did not reveal who gave them this information, it stood its ground on its position that there was a “deliberate” attempt to misfeed information into the transparency server that gives out information on the election returns to PPCRV and to the media.
“Apparently, the execution of this computer command was able to alter the hash codes of the packet data,” a statement from the Marcos camp said.
“Furthermore, the introduction of this new script is suspect because it was after this time that Senator Marcos’ lead from Representative (Leni) Robredo started to erode at at a rather distinctive pattern,” it said.
Atty. Huang said they have already sent a letter to Comelec chairperson Andres Bautista asking for an explanation about this “new script” or computer command that was inserted into the Comelec transparency server on the night of May 9.
“Did Comelec know about the introduction of this new script? How does the new script affect the data and data reception of the transparency server? The public deserves to find out,” she said.
The Marcos camp said that the “new script” introduced into the COMELEC’s transparency server had significantly altered how the senator’s votes were counted as compared to those of Robredo who had a dramatic surge in vote count starting 1 a.m.
By 3 a.m. Robredo was able to overtake Marcos.
“The partial and unoffial quick count of the PPCRV is telling us that more than 95 percent of the clustered precincts have transmitted election returns to the transparency server. The quick count showed us that Senator Marcos’ substantial lead in the votes began to arode about 9 p.m. of 9 May 2016, and that Representative Robredo maintained her lead since around 3:00 am of 10 May 2016,” their statement read.
“We have always been of the understanding as the COMELEC has never indicated the contrary, that the transparency server could only receive data or ERs (elections returns) from the VCMs,” a statement from the Marcos camp read.
Aside from the alleged insertion of the new script for the Comelec’s transparency server, among the other reasons why the Marcos camp claimed it was questioning the Comelec’s unofficial quick count starting late Monday night were the following: “the results of the Exit Polls in all areas nationwide” which they claimed showed Marcos winning the Vice-Presidential race;” and the Overseas Absentee Voters whose votes have yet to be fully accounted for.
“The quick count tally so far reflects only 19 percent of these votes. We are confident of the results in this sector because we were able to confirm that senator Marcos garnered a significant number of votes from our OFWs,” their statement read.
“In this regard, we are rather perplexed as to how the PPCRV quick count reached over 95% of the total clustered precincts, and 100% in certain provinces or cities. We have confirmed that a number of clustered precincts or VCMs were unable to transmit to the local board of canvassers in certain provinces or cities,” the Marcos camp said.
Marcos himself, in an earlier interview with Eagle News Service, noted how his vote count as released by the Comelec’s transparency server became fewer around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, May 10, while that of his closest rival, Liberal Party’s Robredo, made a sudden surge.
He said that a COMELEC man was seen replacing a CF card, particularly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Marcos also said that his camp had received reports of SD cards being replaced by Comelec representatives, allegedly to replace what had been already counted by the vote counting machines.
The senator also claimed there was a deliberate attempt to withhold votes from the North, Pangasinan and Isabela which are considered as his stonghold areas.
“Talagang yung nababanggit nga na Plan B ay talagang sinusunod nila at iniipit mga boto na galing sa balwarte ko at pinapalabas na nangunguna si Congresswoman Robredo. Eh ang katotohanan, pag pinagsama-sama lahat ng boto ay talagang panalo tayo. (Really, the Plan B which was being mentioned before is being put in place so that the votes from my stronghold areas would be withheld and they would make it appear that Congresswoman Robredi is leading. But in truth, if you count all the votes which have not yet been transmitted, I would win),” Marcos Jr., said in the interview.
Marcos called on his supporters and the public “to maintain calm and sobriety and to await the results of the official canvass.”
He also “appealed for vigilance so that, ultimately, whoever may be proclaimed as winners, the true voice of the Filipino people will prevail.”
Robredo’s camp, on the other hand, downplayed the allegations made by the Marcos camp and challenged the senator to substantiate these.