Some overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) prefer casting their votes using vote-counting machines (VCMs) than of sending their ballots by mail, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia said.

He cited the case of the Filipinos based in Taipei, Taiwan wherein they wanted to be the ones to insert their ballots to VCMs.

“There were some complaints in Taipei because the OFWs there want to personally insert their ballots to the machine---to see it being fed to VCMs. They don’t want to mail their ballots,” Garcia said in Filipino during a television interview.

The decision of the post to send the ballots by mail in Taiwan, according to him, was based on the consultation with the Filipino community there.

Garcia said he told the representative of Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), Willie Fernandez, to write to the poll body that OFWs in Taiwan who were supposed to vote by mail want to cast their votes personally.

Meanwhile, Garcia ensured the integrity of mailed ballots, noting that such has been practiced since overseas voting began.

“Pero huwag po silang mag-alala na matagal po nating ginagamit noong mag-umpisa po tayo sa overseas voting. Iyon pong by mailing sure na sure kasi sealed at mas ma-pre-preserve po ang integrity sapagkat naka-pouch po iyon, with instruction and everything (OFWs were told not to worry about mailing ballots, saying such has been practiced since overseas voting began. The mailing of ballots is certain because it is sealed and the integrity of it is preserved because it is preserved and is placed in a pouch, with instruction and everything).”