THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has officially dismissed an election protest challenging the results of the 2025 mayoral race in Mandaue City, Cebu. This decision confirms the victory of incumbent Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano over former candidate Jonas C. Cortes.
In an order issued on January 29, 2026, the Comelec First Division ruled that the protest failed to meet the necessary rules. The Commission cited "insufficient details and lack of substantial evidence" to support the accusations of cheating and irregularities.
Demands for a recount
Cortes filed the protest on May 23, 2025. He was seeking a manual recount and a technical examination of election documents in all 271 clustered precincts in Mandaue City.
He claimed there were widespread problems during the voting, counting, and transmission of results. Specifically, he pointed to discrepancies between the number of people who voted and the number of valid ballots cast. He also alleged that in some cases, the ballot count exceeded the number of registered voters.
Other complaints included malfunctioning automated counting machines, inaccurate or missing voter receipts, and the improper rejection of ballots.
Ouano’s defense
Mayor Ouano filed his answer to the protest on June 5, 2025, asking Comelec to throw the case out.
He argued that the protest was "insufficient in form and substance." Ouano said that Cortes failed to establish a valid reason for the protest and did not show how he could overcome the winning margin.
Why the case was dismissed
Comelec held a hearing on September 23, 2025, to listen to arguments from both sides. In its final ruling, the Commission explained that many of the issues Cortes raised were technical incidents that can happen normally during an election.
According to the Comelec, these incidents — such as machine troubleshooting or re-feeding ballots that were initially rejected — do not automatically amount to electoral fraud.
The Commission also clarified that issues with printing voter receipts do not, by themselves, prove that cheating occurred. They noted that Cortes failed to prove these incidents were widespread or that they changed the final results.
Upholding the election results
Ultimately, Comelec ruled that the protest did not provide the "detailed and specific account" of fraud required by election rules.
Because the protest failed to comply with these mandatory requirements, it was summarily dismissed. This decision effectively upholds the election victory of Mayor Ouano in the 2025 Mandaue City mayoral race. / ABC