Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s party asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to order a manual of the May 12 senator election, alleging fraud.
In the six-page action, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), represented by Vice President of the State Alfonso G. Cusi, asked the court to allow it to file a supplementary complaint on the day of election and before the general election to give a detailed introduction to “irregularity.”
“Whether partly manual counting or nationally, it is partially, targeted or nationally, the petitioner humbly leaves the reasonable discretion of this honor court to the extent of necessity, efficiency, economical or cost-effectiveness when implementing relevant election laws,”
It added: “It is crucial that the mandatory process under our main election laws be carried out so that facts can be known, accountability can be identified and determined, and public confidence in the election process can be restored.”
The party initially filed a lawsuit on April 3, demanding that the High Court order the number of votes on May 12.
Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, who was appointed as its vice presidential candidate in the 2022 election, had previously claimed election fraud, claiming that three senators of the party had been deceived.
The lawsuit appoints the Election Commission (COMELEC) and Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia as defendants.
The party said its call for a vote was based on the call of Republic Act 9369 or the Automatic Electoral System Act and the call of Batas Panbasa BLG. 881 or comprehensive election code.
PDP-Laban believes that RA 9369 Article 31 stipulates the act of manual voting to maintain the integrity of the election and to ensure that they are free, honest and trustworthy.
The cited breach included the discovery of equipment (including Starlink transmission equipment and solar panels) in a private residence in Buhangin village, Davao City, which the party said caused a “potential conflict of interest”.
“Comelec welcomes such remedies to prove the true mission of voters,” Mr. Garcia told reporters in a mixed English and Filipino chat. “We will wait for the Supreme Court to act on the matter.”
PDP-Laban also alleged that there were differences between actual votes and voter receipts and that the final senator vote was excluded from the final statistics after Comelec allegedly classified these as “overinvestment.”
“The supplementary petition filed is submitted with this motion, and it is merely intended to incorporate the latest facts or latest facts, i.e., transactions, events or events that occur after the original petition are filed to aid in a comprehensive, fair and rapid ruling that has been proposed on the original petition,” PDP-LABAN.
The ruling Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition won six Senate seats.
Christopher Lawrence T. Go, a candidate for the PDP-Laban League Senate.
Ms. Duterte said earlier this month that PDP-Laban Senator candidates Jesus V. Hinlo, Jr., James Patrick “Jimmy” R. Bondoc and Richard T. Mata (Richard T.
Elections overseeing free elections for citizens earlier said it did not observe any abnormal activity in the 2025 midterm elections, but pointed out that certain violations require further investigation. – Chloe Mari A. Hufana
