For Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Marlon Casquejo, the Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) used in the May 2022 polls on Monday, May 9, have exhausted their use.
In a press briefing, Casquejo said that VCMs will no longer be used for the next elections in 2025 and the succeeding ones.
"We will insist we will not use anymore these vcms for the succeeding elections," he said.
"Kumbaga eto hanggang dito na lang kaya ni VCMs. Sa Commission on Audit (COA) may life span yung ating technical machines (In short, this is the furthest that the VCMS can go. Under COA technical machines are said to have a life span)," he added.
He stated they will do this even if they will be faced with a smaller budget for that particular election.
Casquejo mentioned that they are not sure of the machines' capability after the elections if it can be used for other things such as scanning such as in Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) exams.
It may be used in other agencies, according to Casquejo, but no longer for Comelec.