No budget for Comelec to conduct manual vote recount

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not allocated budget for manual recount following the just concluded 2025 national and local elections (NLE).

In a radio interview, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the intention of Republic Act 9369, or the Automated Election Law, which was enacted in 2007 under the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is for the conduct of a full automated polls without an option for manual counting unless for random manual auditing of ballots from selected clustered precincts.

He said the Comelec no longer implement manual counting since the 2010 elections.

“Kung pagbibigyan natin sila, sino po magbibilang? Saan bibilangin? Magkano ang budget? Saan kukuhain ang budget? Anong proseso? Anong procedure ng pagbilang?” said Garcia.

(If we grant their request, who will do the counting? Where will it be done? What’s the budget? Where will the budget come from? What’s the process? What’s the procedure for the counting?)

Garcia raised the need to amend the law given the demands and diversity of the present.

“Ako ay nag-a-agree kung kakailanganin ng pagbabago o overhaul ng batas. Bakit nga ba hindi? Pero sa kasalukuyan, tali ang kamay ng Comelec. Hindi kami makakakilos nang hindi binabago ang batas sapagkat tagapagpatupad lang kami ng ating mga umiiral na batas,” he added.

(I agree if a change or overhaul of the law is necessary. Why not, right? But at present, the Comelec’s hands are tied. We cannot take action unless the law is amended because we are merely implementers of the laws that are currently in effect.)

Earlier, senatorial candidate detained Pastor Apollo Quiboloy called for a manual recount of the senatorial votes, noting the numerous reports of what they claim were over voting anomalies, inconsistencies in ballot readings, and other electoral irregularities.

Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said only an electoral protest may trigger a recount.

Garcia said, however, that since the 12 winning senators have already been proclaimed, the Comelec no longer has jurisdiction over the possible manual recount if Quiboloy will file an electoral protest.

He said the ball is now with the Senate Electoral Tribunal. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)