PPCRV working with Comelec to resolve data discrepancy

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said Tuesday that it is working with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to resolve data discrepancy in election results.

In a statement, the poll watchdog said it received initial data past 8:15 PM on Monday, but encountered delays due to varying file formats.

The PPCRV said it also noticed discrepancies between its internal count and the figures reported by other groups receiving data from the transparency server.

"Out of an abundance of caution and our commitment to accuracy, we held off publishing the results while we verified the data," it said.

Upon further analysis, the PPCRV found that its data was accurate, reflecting proper filtering of duplicate entries. It said it is now releasing its verified dataset.

The poll watchdog also flagged a significant gap between the election return data it received and the figures reflected on the Comelec website.

"While the Comelec's dashboard shows around 98.75% transmission, the results file PPRCV received only accounts for 79.9% of election returns," the group said.

The PPCRV assured it is in active coordination with the Comelec "to understand and resolve this gap."

It also underscored the importance of the random manual audit (RMA) and the unofficial parallel count (UPC).

"The RMA aims to dispel potential issues with overvoting or unintentional voting, as reported quite frequently during election day. The UPC, in turn, will compare the physical election returns with the transmitted returns," it continued.

The poll body will begin its RMA on Wednesday.

'No voting manipulation, glitch'

Meanwhile, in an interview, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia addressed the concerns of the PPCRV, assuring the public that no vote manipulation or system glitch has occurred.

Garcia clarified that the data comes from the same primary server housed in Makati and is transmitted simultaneously to all accredited recipients, including the PPCRV, the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), the majority and minority parties, and the media.

However, he explained that differences may arise based on the programs and systems used to display the data.

"It's like sending a group message. One person might receive it instantly, while another might get it a few seconds later. It doesn't mean the message is wrong or changed, it's just a matter of how fast your system receives it," Garcia said.

He further explained that if the PPCRV, NAMFREL, and the media release different figures, it's because "they are showing different percentages of returns, not because the numbers are wrong."

"There's a clear trail. Votes go from the precincts to the Municipal Board of Canvassers, then to the Provincial Board, and finally to the National Board. We'll audit the entire process," Garcia added.