Reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos on Monday warned voters against discrepancies in the receipts issued by automated counting machines (ACMs).

Citing unverified complaints, Marcos said she had received multiple reports alleging that some machines were pre-programmed to reflect votes for certain senatorial candidates who were not selected by voters.

“So many problems and complaints. Since this morning, I’ve been receiving complaints from different places about allegedly programmed machines that show ‘Abalos’ as the vote no matter who you choose, and sometimes don’t register votes for other senators,” she said in an ambush interview after casting her votes at Cabeza Elementary School in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

“Some people voted for a full slate of twelve, but the machine reads it as an overvote. In Calbayog, Samar, when you vote for mayor and vice mayor, the senatorial candidates automatically show up,” she added.

Marcos was referring to former Interior and Local Government secretary Benhur Abalos, who is running under the administration-aligned Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, led by her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The senator also cited reports from Davao City alleging that several ACMs deployed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) were malfunctioning.

“That’s why it’s a bit alarming because that’s the kind of story we’re hearing. Reports from Davao also say there are many machines that aren’t working,” she said.

In light of these incidents, Marcos called on voters to protect their votes by being vigilant and report any discrepancies.

“If you have a complaint, I know cellphones are not allowed, but there is a process. Let’s follow it. Say that you have a complaint or that there’s a discrepancy — you’ll be asked to sign something. That’s why we need to keep those receipts,” she said.

“As we all know, it’s the very first time we have a new technology provider — it’s no longer Smartmatic, which was previously suspected of being ‘Smart Magic,’” she added.

She continued, “Now, this is the first time we’re using Miru, so we’re not very familiar with it. It’s said to be more modern, but also more sensitive. So we need to understand it and monitor things carefully, because voting is a right given to us by our ancestors.”