Concerns over possible unauthorized access and backend manipulation lie at the heart of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan’s (PDP-Laban) renewed call for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to enforce manual counting of votes at the precinct level during the 2025 national and local elections.
In an official statement on Monday, the party backed the prohibition against connecting Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) to the internet during voting hours.
“We fully support the prohibition against connecting the ACMs to the internet while voting is ongoing in order to significantly lessen the possibilities of unauthorized access to the system and backend manipulation,” PDP-Laban said.
It stressed that an internet connection should only be established after voting ends, once the election returns have been generated, printed, verified, and are ready for transmission to Comelec servers.
However, the party flagged what it called a “false and misleading” claim by Comelec, noting that the prohibition against internet connection during voting hours was not clearly stated in Comelec Resolution No. 11098, despite the commission’s social media announcement suggesting otherwise.
“Upon careful review of Comelec Resolution No. 11098 and its annexes, it is clear that the prohibition was applied only during the final testing and sealing of ACMs, not on Election Day itself,” PDP-Laban said.
It urged the Comelec to issue a “clear and proper resolution” if it genuinely intends to ban internet connection during voting hours, instead of relying on what it described as a misleading Facebook update.
PDP-Laban pressed for the implementation of a manual count of votes alongside the automated process, as provided in Section 31 of Republic Act No. 9369, or the Election Automation Law.
The law requires ballots to be read aloud and individually in public, a mechanism the party says is essential for ensuring the credibility of elections.
“This traditional manual and public reading of ballot votes was intentionally retained by law despite having automated most parts of our election system,” PDP-Laban said.
“Manual counting enables poll watchers to properly monitor and verify the votes real-time at the precinct level,” it added.
The party argued that enforcing the manual count is not only a legal obligation but also a necessary safeguard against electoral fraud.
“We have the law… All that Comelec has to do is enforce and implement it,” PDP-Laban said, adding that the credibility of the 2025 elections and of Philippine democracy itself depends on it.