Long lines, PCOS machine malfunction, and the searing heat of the sun became the common complaints of Filipinos who voted today, May 10, 2010. Celebrities were not spared.

It was around 11:00 a.m. when PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) got the heads-up that Kim Chiu was waiting for her turn to vote in Miriam College, Katipunan Road, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Included in the text message was, “Ang haba ng pila!”

We reached Miriam College around 1:00 p.m. There was indeed a long line. Several tents were put up to provide shade for the voters. But a portion of the throng of people had to endure the searing heat of the sun. “Nagkulang ang tent,” a volunteer informed us.

We thought Kim had finished voting and left, but at 1:30 p.m., we saw her leaving the precinct discreetly. In her yellow shirt, she managed to smile when we asked for a shot, then hastily got inside her pink car.

At about the same time, we spotted Pia Magalona and her daughters Maxene and Saab. “Would you believe, we waited for four hours! We got here at 8:30 a.m.,” the widow of Master Rapper Francis Magalona said without complaining.

“But it’s a good thing they prioritized the elderly and pregnant women. Ang init kasi…,” Pia observed.

Saab, wearing a shirt that bore the face of her dad, added, “And good thing they had those tents.”

There was not a trace of uneasiness on their faces. When we asked them to pose for the camera, they smiled and Saab proudly exclaimed, “I already voted.”