The Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP Laban), alongside several other petitioners, has filed a case before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify four Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolutions, claiming they are unconstitutional and threaten the integrity of the electoral process.
The petition, filed in collaboration with senatorial candidates, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and registered overseas voters, also sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) and writ of preliminary injunction.
The petitioners argued that the Comelec resolutions unlawfully altered the voting process.
One of the primary concerns is the automated counting of votes, which they claim violates Section 31 of Republic Act 9369, or the Election Automation Law, which mandates manual counting of ballots at the precinct level.
Additionally, the petition challenges the implementation of remote online voting for overseas voters, asserting that the use of digital ballots is not authorized by existing laws.
“Comelec cannot be allowed to introduce this new system through mere administrative issuances,” the petition contends.
The petition also asserted that Comelec’s fully automated counting and canvassing of overseas votes violates RA 10590, or the Overseas Voting Act of 2013, which requires on-site counting and canvassing.
“If the 2025 elections proceed under these ultra vires Comelec issuances, not only would the integrity and credibility of the electoral process be jeopardized, but its very legality and legitimacy would be in question,” said Atty. Israelito P. Torreon, legal counsel for the petitioners. “We do not want to partake in an illegitimate election.”
The petition seeks a writ of mandamus to compel Comelec to follow the legal procedures outlined in Sections 23, 24, 25, and 27 of RA 10590 and Section 31 of RA 9369.
PDP Laban is represented in the petition by its Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi and is joined by 2025 senatorial candidates Atty. Raul Lambino, Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, and Atty. Vic Rodriguez, along with PDP Laban member and IT enthusiast Atty. Glenn Chong and several registered overseas voters.
The petition invoked the Supreme Court’s role as the “conscience of the government,” quoting Justice Isagani Cruz in Javier v. Comelec (1986): “Never again shall the purity of suffrage be defiled.”