The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday denied deleting all files related to the 2025 midterm elections.

In a statement, the poll body clarified that it only deleted files stored at the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City, marking the conclusion of the committee’s responsibility in connection with the recent polls.

“There is no truth that the Comelec has deleted or accidentally deleted all data and files related to the 2025 national and local elections (NLE),” the statement read.

Among the deleted files were official ballots, voter information sheets, and ballot reprints.

“This must be done according to high standards of election security to assure the public that there are no remaining files regarding the printing of ballots,” the commission added.

“And since the May 12, 2025 NLE is over, it’s also necessary to ensure that no one in the NPO will be able to reprint official ballots and accountable forms, including voter information sheets that contain some personal information of voters,” the statement further noted.

The deletion process was witnessed by representatives from the Commission on Audit, election stakeholders, political parties, and members of the media.

Comelec also emphasized that the move was in accordance with the Data Privacy Act.