Senior citizens arrive at the New Capitol Estates-1 basketball court, one of the polling precincts in Barangay Batasan Hills, to cast their votes during the early voting period of the 2025 midterm elections on May 12, 2025. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA -- Although he has weak knees, 66-year-old Danny Magpantay still climbed the second floor of Highway Hills Integrated School in Mandaluyong City to cast his vote. 

He had the option to vote inside the Priority Polling Place (PPP) at the first floor, but that would mean entrusting his ballot to teachers who would feed all ballots from the PPP to an automated counting machine (ACM) when the poll closes. 

Those allowed in the PPP are senior citizens, persons with disability, and pregnant voters who cannot climb to their polling precincts. 

"Karapatan namin na kami talaga magsusubo sa machine. Gusto namin yung ganun," Magpantay said. "Kung magkaproblema man yung makina, at least alam namin."

Magpantay, the first to vote in his precinct, was all smiles after casting his vote saying the process was smooth. 

"Mas maganda ngayon," he remarked. "Okay yung makina." 

Brenda Santos, 73 years old, left it to the teachers at the PPP to cast her vote since she couldn't go up to her precinct due to gout and heart ailment. 

She made it a point to vote despite her condition. 

"Para umayos-ayos naman ang takbo ng buhay," Santos commented. 

But it seemed that some members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) were not completely familiar with the election rules. 

Voters from the vulnerable sector who voted in one precinct were not allowed to feed their ballot in the ACM. The BEI said all ballots of that sector had to be collected and inserted into the ACM when the voting closes. 

The school's principal had to explain to them that those who vote in the precinct are not the same as those who vote in the PPP. Hence, the former can feed their ballot after shading. 

Meanwhile, Wilfredo Ocampo, 50 years old, was not able to vote. He came during the early voting hours for the vulnerable sector because he has high blood, but was told he needed to wait for the regular voting at 7 a.m. 

"Kaya nga ako umiiwas sa init, kaya nga ako gumising nang maaga para makaboto agad tapos bawal pa," Ocampo complained. 

"Sinabi ko sa kanila kung ganun, 'di na ko boboto," he said. "Sabi nila 'it's your option.' Yes, it's my option. I'm getting out of here."

"Sayang, pero kung ganito nang ganito na wala silang nilalagay na exemption, ang laking kalokohan naman nito."