SC junks petition vs. Comelec's failure to issue rules on manual count of votes

The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed a petition filed against the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for its alleged failure to promulgate the rules and regulations for the manual counting of votes at the precinct level.

In an 11-page decision, the SC En Banc dismissed the petition for lack of merit, saying that the manual counting is not a mandatory requirement under Republic Act 9369.

“A plain reading of RA 9639 in its entirety reveals that the legislative intent was to modernize the Philippine electoral process through the implementation of an [Automated Election System] (AES),” it said.

“The law expressly mandates the automation of elections, ensuring that vote counting, tabulation, and consolidation are conducted through a secure and tamper-proof automated system,” the High Court added.

According to the SC, the petitioners wrote a letter to the poll body requesting for the promulgation of the rules for the manual counting of votes in January 2025.

However, the petitioners said their request was met with inaction, prompting them to file the petition.

They alleged that the Comelec’s failure to issue the rules constitutes grave abuse of discretion.

For its part, the SC said the purpose of the AES is to eliminate manual counting at the precinct level to reduce human intervention and the risks of electoral fraud.

The High Court said it has consistently upheld the sufficiency of the AES in ensuring electoral transparency and accuracy.

“Thus, relying on manual counting as the primary method of tabulation contradicts established jurisprudence and legislative intent behind Republic Act No. 9369,” it said, adding that the Comelec did not commit grave abuse of discretion.

The decision, penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena-Singh, was promulgated in October 2025 and made public in May 2026. — JMA, GMA News