The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday disapproved the proposal of considering the use of hybrid polls system during the May 2025 polls.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said this would be against the Republic Act 9369 or the Election Automation Law.

“Kasi po ung automation law ay pure automation nakalagay at ang budget din po n binigay sa atin ay para sa pure automation lamang (Because the automation law is pure automation and the budget given to us is for pure automation only),” Garcia told reporters via Viber.

Enacted in 2007, the Election Automation Law, authorized the Commission to use an automated election system in subsequent national and local elections.

The country’s first automated polls took place in May 2010.

Garcia also added that it would take several days for votes to be counder under a hybrid elections system.

“[Tatlong] araw [na] po [hindi] pa tayo nakakatapos ng bilangan sa presinto (Three days in and we won’t even be able to count all the votes at the precinct level),” he added.

On Friday, election watchdog Kontra Daya revived calls for the holding of the 2025 national and local polls using a hybrid system amid the issues hounding the Comelec and its automated election system project.

The hybrid polls system provides for manual voting and counting at the precinct level and an automated transmission and canvassing of the results.