By Minka Klaudia Tiangco
A ballot box with its sticker torn was delivered in Pasig City on Friday morning.
The doors to a sealed van of Commission on Elections (Comelec) appear to be torn as they arrive in Pasig City on Friday morning. Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said this may have been a case of accidental tearing. (Photo courtesy of Shalani Soledad's Twitter account/ MANILA BULLETIN)
But the ballot box's sticker may have just been accidentally torn while in transit, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official explained.
"Sticker may have torn during movement of the truck as the 'lap' or the torn edge appears uneven," Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said in a tweet.
"The torn sticker is not ideal, obviously, but it is impossible to rule out accidental tearing," he added in another tweet.
Jimenez also said that the ballot box and its contents must be inspected to check if there are "indications of tampering or pilferage."
"Check whether or not the plastic seal was broken, tampered and/or replaced. We can check as the serial number of the plastic seal used is duly-recorded in our dispatch records," he said.
The Comelec spokesman said the next step is to verify that the quantity of official ballots received is the same with the quantity indicated in the transmittal documents.
Finally, each official ballot package must be checked for signs of tampering.
Jimenez said the official ballot packages are individually sealed, shrink-wrapped, and plastic-strapped.