MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) cannot be compelled to conduct manual counting of votes at the precinct level under Republic Act No. 9369 or the automated election law, the Supreme Court ruled.
In dismissing the petition filed by a group of bishops and former police and military generals, the Court held that manual counting is not a mandatory requirement under RA 9369, which amends RA 8436 authorizing the adoption of an automated election system (AES) in country.
“A plain reading of Republic Act No. 9369 in its entirety reveals that the legislative intent was to modernize the Philippine electoral process through the implementation of an AES,” the SC said.
It added that the “very 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 also cited the SC ruling on Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency (BANAT) Party-List vs Commission on Elections, upholding the constitutionality of RA 9369.
The petitioners had sought to enjoin the Comelec to promulgate the rules and regulations for the manual counting of votes at the precinct level citing Section 31 of RA 9369 which, they stressed, mandates that official ballots must be read by the chairman of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) at the precinct level in a public and transparent manner.
They raised the matter before the High Court after the Comelec did not act on their January 2, 2025 letter, seeking compliance with the provision.
In its ruling, the Court said that the reference to manual counting in Section 31 must be interpreted in harmony with the general provisions of RA 9369, which prioritizes automated elections. – Rappler.com