The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said it welcomes the petition filed by the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) seeking a manual recount of votes in the 2025 senatorial elections.
Comelec chair George Garcia said the poll body respects the legal remedies being pursued and will await action from the Supreme Court.
“We will just wait for the Supreme Court action on this matter. These remedies are welcome to prove the real mandate of the electorate,” Garcia said.
The petition, filed by PDP-Laban through lawyers Israelito Torreon and Jimmy Bondoc, includes a motion for leave to submit a supplemental petition for mandamus. It was signed by the party’s national vice chairman Alfonso Cusi, several senatorial candidates, and registered overseas voters. The Comelec and Department of Foreign Affairs were named as respondents.
In its 83-page filing, PDP-Laban alleged serious irregularities in the May 12 midterm elections, including widespread complaints of automated counting machines (ACMs) misreading ballots, leading to more than 17 million senatorial votes being marked as overvotes and excluded from the final tally. The group also cited discrepancies between actual ballots and voter receipts, alleged interference in results transmission, and undocumented destruction of about six million ballots.
Additionally, the petition raised concerns over election equipment reportedly found inside a private residence in Davao City, suggesting mishandling or improper storage. PDP-Laban argued that these issues undermined the integrity of the electoral process and called on the Supreme Court to act in the interest of transparency, accountability, and public trust.
