Quiboloy’s lawyer insists manual vote counting over cybersecurity fears

MANILA, Philippines - Israelito Torreon, the attorney of the incarcerated Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder and senatorial bet Apollo Quiboloy, urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement manual vote counting at the precinct level.

Torreon claimed that manual counting would increase transparency and safeguard the ballot's sanctity, citing worries about cybersecurity threats and election integrity.

He cited Republic Act 9369, which, he says, requires votes to be read and counted in public, thereby reintroducing manual vote counting under the Automated Election System.

In addition, Torreon expressed doubts about the reliability of Miru Systems, the South Korean company providing the voting machines for the 2025 midterm elections, stating that new technology by itself cannot ensure equity.

He asked George Erwin Garcia, the chairperson of the Comelec, to issue instructions for hand counting. Garcia highlighted, however, that the Automated Election Law (RA 9369), which requires completely automated elections from precinct-level voting to national canvassing, legally binds Comelec.

Garcia underlined that legislative reform would be necessary for any switch to manual or hybrid counting.

During an online news briefing, he emphasized that only Congress has the authority to authorize such changes to election procedures, saying, "Comelec cannot implement manual precinct-level counting without changes to the law."