FAKE warning on ‘bleeding’ ballots spread on FB, Twitter

A warning circulating on social media claiming that votes cast for senatorial candidate Lito Lapid could be counted in favor of Mar Roxas is wrong.

The post, which says ballot ovals shaded for Lapid will bleed through and fill out Roxas’ oval, has been debunked by Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez himself.

The message claims to have originated from an unnamed Davao-based vote counting machine (VCM) technician who "recently conducted a final testing and sealing of ballots.” The text read:

Repost! Hwag iboto si LITO LAPID.naging VCM technician ako dito sa davao sabihan nyo mga kakilala,frnds,etc. na hwag botohan c lito lapid dahil tatagos ang ink ng pen sa fr0nt page na nandun ang name ni MAR ROXAS.. kapag sini shade nyo si lapid, ang lalabas sa resibo kay mar roxas kahit kay lapid sinishade nyo..

(Repost! Don’t vote for Lito Lapid. I was a VCM technician here in Davao. Tell the people you know, friends, etc. to not vote for Lito Lapid because the pen’s ink will bleed through the front page where Mar Roxas’ name is placed.. If you shade Lapid’s, the receipt will show Mar Roxas’ [name] even if it’s Lapid’s [name] that you shaded..)

Comelec's Jimenez called the warning fake in a series of tweets on March 4.

Posting the screenshot version of the fake post and a digital copy of an official ballot, he wrote:

Magsisinungaling lang, mali-mali pa. una, parehong front page ang Lapid at Roxas. Paano 'tatagos?' 2nd, hindi magkahilera ang ovals sa front at back page. Paano maging problema ang “tagos?” At, huy! Wala pang final testing & sealing na nagaganap! Masyado ka advance magisip! LOL

(You were just going to lie, and yet you got your information wrong. First, Lapid and ROxas are both on the front page. How will it “bleed”? 2nd, the ovals on the front and back page are unaligned. How would 'bleeding through' become a problem? And, hey! There haven’t been any final testing & sealing that have happened yet! You’re too forward-thinking! LOL).

Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.

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