The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has rejected senatorial candidate Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s request for a manual recount after he placed 31st in the Senate race.
Quiboloy, currently detained on sex trafficking charges and absent during the campaign, sought the recount, citing alleged poll irregularities, but he has not filed an official election protest.
His lawyer argued that Comelec could act on its own to order a recount, but Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said existing laws and the automated election system’s random manual audit ensure election integrity.
Garcia emphasized that a manual recount can only be conducted if an official election protest is filed, as the law currently does not allow arbitrary recounts due to cost and procedural constraints.
He added that changes in law would be needed to enable recounts without formal protests.
Source: PhilNews24 | May 16, 2025
