MANILA — The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to submit their comments on a motion seeking to intervene in a pending petition challenging the use of online overseas voting in Philippine elections.

In a report, it said that in a resolution dated April 15, the SC en banc ordered both agencies to respond within 10 days from receipt of notice.

The motion to intervene was filed by the National People’s Initiative Council Committee and God’s People’s Initiative in relation to a petition earlier filed by PDP-Laban in June 2025.

In their 14-page motion, the intervenors asked the SC to issue a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction directing the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee (JCOC) to issue a certification either approving or disapproving the use of the MIRU system for national and local elections.

The MIRU system refers to a proposed or contracted election technology platform intended for managing and processing online or automated voting for overseas and local elections.

The petitioners also sought to compel the JCOC to investigate SMS Global and Sequent Tech Inc. over alleged violations of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) voting rights, particularly compliance with voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) requirements.

They further asked the SC to implead former JCOC chairperson Senator Imee Marcos, citing alleged failure to ensure compliance with VVPAT rules.

In June 2025, PDP-Laban filed a petition asking the SC to stop the implementation of remote online voting using digital ballots for overseas voters, seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO).

The party also urged the high court to direct Comelec to issue corrective rules on provisions of the Election Automation Law, require mandatory training for parallel manual counting alongside automated counting machines (ACMs), and ensure public access to both front-end and back-end election systems during canvassing.

In a supplemental petition, they also called for a manual recount of senatorial votes in the 2025 elections.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the poll body would comply with the SC directive.

“Despite limited resources, the pilot online voting in 2025 was very successful. It afforded our compatriots abroad a means of voting without going to our embassies and consulates,” he said.

“The random manual audit conducted for overseas voting revealed 100% accuracy. As to the request for a manual recount of senatorial votes, it is doubtful if this can be done under the present remedy sought by the petitioners,” Garcia added.

Former JCOC chairperson Senator Imee Marcos, meanwhile, said she should not be included in the case, noting that the committee was not formally constituted in the 19th Congress.

“I do not have any personality to represent or bind the JCOC in whatever capacity,” she said.

She added that the JCOC tasked with reporting on the 2025 national and local elections pertains to the 20th Congress.