PPCRV audit of BARMM polls finds no true discrepancies, but flags streaks on 46 election returns

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) wrapped up its parallel audit of the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on Sept. 23, reporting no true discrepancies between the physical election returns (ERs) and the transmitted electronic data. The watchdog did, however, flag streaks on some physical ERs that kept them from being scanned and checked against the electronic results.

PPCRV spokesperson Ana Singson told the Inquirer that the audit found no real mismatches, even as it noted the streaks. “We have not found any true discrepancy, none so far. Irregularities or issues like streaks [are the only ones that] came up,” Singson said. She added that the group was encouraged by the accuracy of the data despite those issues.

What did the PPCRV audit find in the BARMM elections?

Of the 5,176 precincts with transmitted data, PPCRV scanned 4,265 ERs by the end of the day, including 300 additional ERs from Lanao del Sur that arrived later. That covered nearly 82 percent of all ERs in the Bangsamoro region. The watchdog received more than 5,000 ERs but set aside duplicate copies and those used for final testing and sealing.

Forty-six ERs, or 1.1 percent of the total audited, had streaks that made them unreadable by scanners. About 54 percent of those came from Lanao del Sur, with smaller numbers from Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and Basilan.

Singson stressed that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) needs to look into the cause. “They (Comelec) really have to check this. Because 1.1 percent in BARMM may not be crucial. But in 2028 [national elections], that 1.1 percent is huge and it can define an election or could define who loses or wins the elections,” she said.

Why are the streaks on election returns a concern?

PPCRV reiterated that the streaks should be investigated to determine whether they came from transportation, printers or the automated counting machines themselves. The group also reported 36 missing ERs at one point, mostly from Lanao del Sur, but later recovered 31 of them. That included 17 of 18 from Lanao del Sur, nine of 11 from Maguindanao del Norte, three from Maguindanao del Sur, one of three from Basilan and the lone missing ER from the Special Geographic Area.

Singson noted that the retrieval rate in BARMM was far better than in past elections. “In the past elections, the average ER [retrieval rate] of BARMM is at 51 percent, which tells you how important this is to get and the effort they put into it. Because for the first time, they are choosing their leaders,” she said.

Was the Bangsamoro election peaceful?

Singson said she was “happy” that the overall election was peaceful despite the issues during voting. “We are happy that it is peaceful, we were prepared. We had contingency plans for our volunteers but we did not need any of that,” she said. PPCRV extended its volunteer workforce on Wednesday, including students and teachers from AMA and PPCRV volunteers, to finish the audit. Other rooms were converted into scanning and archiving centers to handle the workload.

Frequently asked questions about the BARMM election audit

Did the PPCRV find any real discrepancies in the Bangsamoro election results?

No. PPCRV reported no true discrepancies between the physical election returns and the transmitted electronic data. The only issues were streaks on 46 ERs that prevented scanning.

How many election returns did PPCRV audit in BARMM?

PPCRV scanned 4,265 ERs out of 5,176 precincts with transmitted data, covering nearly 82 percent of all ERs in the region.

What caused the streaks on some election returns?

PPCRV said the cause is still unknown and could involve transportation, printers or the automated counting machines. It urged Comelec to investigate before the 2028 national elections.