IT is the vote counting machine (VCM) that is defective, not the ballot, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) told former vice president Jejomar Binay on Monday when he complained about how the VCM coughed out his ballot eight times, effectively nullifying his vote.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez disclosed this in a press briefing after a closed-door meeting with Binay at the poll body’s counting center at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).