MANILA, Philippines – Atty. Israelito Torreon, legal counsel for religious leader Apollo Quiboloy, is urging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement manual vote counting at the precinct level for the 2025 elections, citing transparency and election integrity.
Torreon called on Comelec, particularly Chairperson George Garcia, to ensure that the manner of counting votes under the Automated Election System adheres to the law.
“We call on the Comelec to direct the manual counting of votes at the precinct level… to truly preserve the integrity and sanctity of the ballot and hold a free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible election,” Torreon said in a statement.
Comelec has yet to respond to the call for manual vote counting, which comes amid ongoing debates on the credibility of the automated election system.