THE Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the political party of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has renewed its call for manual vote counting at the precinct level, as the May 12, 2025 national and local elections are fast approaching.
The call underscores the party’s advocacy for electoral transparency and compliance with the Election Automation Law.
In an official statement on April 28, 2025, PDP-Laban urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to enforce Section 31 of Republic Act No. 9369, which amends Republic Act No. 8436. The provision mandates that ballots must be read aloud and individually counted at the precinct level.
“The law clearly states that ballots must be read aloud and individually,” PDP-Laban emphasized, citing concerns over the integrity of automated processes.
The party also criticized recent Comelec public updates regarding Automated Counting Machines (ACMs), accusing the poll body of misrepresenting guidelines on internet connectivity during voting.
Citing Comelec Resolution No. 11098, PDP-Laban insisted that ACMs should remain offline until after election returns (ERs) have been printed and verified. They urged the electoral agency to issue a clarificatory resolution to formally prohibit any internet connectivity during voting hours, saying such a move would strengthen public confidence in the electoral outcome.
In response to the concerns, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia affirmed that ACMs are never connected to the internet during the printing of election returns.
“That’s automatic. If it’s not in the guidelines, it means there is absolutely no internet connection, nor will there ever be one. If the internet were to be used, it should be explicitly stated in the rules… What is not included is excluded — that’s the principle. And that is something a skilled and knowledgeable lawyer like him should fully understand,” Garcia said in mixed language, adding that any deviation would have to be clearly specified in the law and corresponding resolutions.
Comelec also assured the public that the Automated Election System (AES) complies with legal standards and integrates multiple layers of security. These include controlled access to ACMs using smart cards and passwords for each Electoral Board member, encryption of election returns prior to transmission, unique hash codes for software, and secure transmission channels as mandated by RA 9369.
Meanwhile, as part of its voter education initiative, Comelec has been conducting ACM roadshows nationwide, including outreach efforts to Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities in regions like Bicol. These efforts are designed to familiarize the public with the voting machines and discourage electoral fraud, such as vote-buying.
Comelec, for its part, is lobbying for what it describes as a “full automation with complete transparency count” model for the 2025 elections.
Chairman Garcia clarified that this does not mean hybrid elections but rather a push for reforms that enhance openness in the automated process.
PDP has officially entered into an alliance for the 2025 elections with Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma, Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan, and the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC). The agreement was formally signed by Greco Belgica and Pantaleon Alvarez.
PDP-Laban chair and former President Duterte, who is seeking a mayoral seat despite being detained by the International Criminal Court in The Hague since March this year over alleged crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign, is endorsing 10 senatorial candidates — eight of whom are from PDP-Laban. DEF