MANILA – The Commission on Elections welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision dismissing a petition that sought to compel the poll body to conduct manual vote counting at the precinct level during automated elections.

In a statement issued Thursday, the COMELEC said the High Court ruled in Alminaza, et al. v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 277969, Oct. 28, 2025) that manual counting is not a mandatory requirement under Republic Act No. 9369, the country’s Automated Election Law.

Quoting the ruling, the Supreme Court said: “Mandating a parallel manual count contradicts the objectives of automation and introduces unnecessary procedural redundancies that will only cause the long delays that provide opportunities for fraud and manipulation. Republic Act No. 9369 establishes sufficient safeguards to verify electoral results, eliminating the need for an additional manual counting requirement. Nowhere in the law is the Commission on Elections directed to conduct a simultaneous manual count alongside the AES implementation.”

According to the COMELEC, the High Court also held that requiring a parallel manual count runs contrary to the purpose of election automation.

The poll body said Republic Act No. 9369, which amended Republic Act No. 8436, was enacted to modernize Philippine elections through the use of an Automated Election System (AES).

It noted that the automated system streamlined and accelerated vote counting during the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections, where all senators and party-list groups were proclaimed within five days, while provincial, city, and municipal officials were proclaimed within one day after the polls.

The case stemmed from a Jan. 2, 2025 letter sent to the COMELEC by Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza, Bishop Jose C. M. Bagaforo, retired police and military officials, and other individuals collectively referred to as Alminaza et al.

The group requested the issuance of rules and regulations for manual vote counting in polling precincts pursuant to Section 31 of Republic Act No. 9369.

After the COMELEC denied the request, the petitioners elevated the matter to the Supreme Court, alleging grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of the commission.

However, the Supreme Court rejected their arguments and emphasized that the law’s primary objective was to keep pace with technological developments while protecting the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot, according to the COMELEC.

The poll body also cited another portion of the ruling stating: “It has ruled that the use of automated vote-counting machines complies with statutory and constitutional mandates for a fair and credible electoral process. Central to this affirmation is incorporating critical safeguards, such as the VVPAT and system auditability mechanisms, effectively mitigating concerns about transparency and the integrity of election results. These judicial pronouncements reinforce the validity of Republic Act No. 9369 and underscore its role in modernizing and securing the electoral process.”

COMELEC also said the Automated Counting Machines underwent international certification and local source code review, where information technology experts were invited to assess the security and functions of the machines.

The commission stressed that the law seeks to ensure that election results are fast, accurate, and reflective of the will of the electorate, adding that Congress intended to fully automate elections to replace the old manual system that was vulnerable to human error and manipulation.

COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia welcomed the ruling.

“We are extremely jubilant over this decision as it affirmed and confirmed full automation regime for our national and local elections and that a parallel manual count on election day is NEVER required by law as it will only result in long delays and provide opportunities for manipulation and fraud. A great victory indeed. Salamat po sa Kataas-taasang Hukuman!” Garcia said.