The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) has taken legal action to block the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from pushing through with its plan to implement internet voting for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the 2025 midterm elections.
In a 122-page petition filed before the Supreme Court on April 3, PDP-Laban leaders and legal experts asked the high court to halt the Comelec’s online voting initiative, arguing that no existing law currently allows it.
“Pinag-aralan namin and we found out na ‘yung Comelec resolutions na ipinalabas nila starting with 11061 on overseas Filipino voting system ay medyo depektibo kasi… wala pang batas on online voting,” said Atty. Israelito Torreon, who also serves as the petitioners’ counsel.
Alongside Torreon, PDP-Laban vice chairman Alfonso Cusi, along with lawyers and senatorial aspirants Raul Lambino, Jimmy Bondoc, and Vic Rodriguez, filed the petition. Lawyer Glenn Chong was also among the petitioners.
They are asking the Supreme Court to nullify four Comelec resolutions related to online voting and to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction to preserve manual counting and on-site canvassing for overseas voting.
The petitioners insist that online voting could compromise transparency and voter confidence.
“Needless to say, the right to vote necessarily implies the right to be reassured that one’s votes are properly accounted for. The physical act of casting a ballot is meaningless if one’s vote does not make it into the tally,” their petition stated.
Torreon also emphasized the importance of manual counting for transparency. “Makikita ng mga watchers kung sino talaga ang binoto talaga nila, mayroon tayong tally sheets, mayroon tayong election returns na klaro, mayroon tayong certificate of votes so we can have clear basis—mayroon tayong factual basis pagpunta na doon po sa canvassing.”
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia responded by affirming the commission’s readiness to face the case. “Handa po kami na harapin ang kaso na ifinile sa amin sa Korte Suprema upang magkaroon ng interpretasyon kung tama ba o mali ang Comelec.”
Garcia defended the Comelec’s move, citing RA 10590 or the Overseas Absentee Voting Act, which empowers the poll body to explore other voting systems. He noted that 77 out of 90 diplomatic posts abroad will use the internet voting system, while 16 will utilize automated counting machines (ACMs).
“As of now, the Comelec will proceed with internet voting in 77 posts abroad. In 16 posts, ang pagboto natin ay mga makina,” Garcia said.
As of April 2, over 19,000 OFWs have enrolled in the online voting system, which remains open until May 7, 2025.
The May elections will see around 69.6 million registered voters casting their ballots, with 1.2 million coming from overseas.
