Comelec faces complaint for ‘system interference' in 2025 polls
Among the 16 complainants were lawyer Alex Lacson, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, former Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president Franklin Ysaac, and Isabela Vice Mayor Harold Respicio.
Aside from Garcia, six Comelec commissioners and three other people were named respondents.
They face 110,000 counts of system interference, representing the 110,000 ACMs used in the 2025 elections.
They were also charged with another 55,874,700 counts of system interference, representing the 55,874,700 votes they consolidated in Data Center 3.
The complainants said the respondents allegedly violated Paragraph 4, Section 4 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.
This states that system interference is the 'intentional alteration or reckless hindering or interference with the functioning of a computer or computer network, by inputting, transmitting, deleting, deteriorating, altering, or suppressing computer data or program, electronic document, or electronic data message, without right or authority.'
The complaint filed before the National Bureau of Investigation alleged that Comelec substituted the certified and audited software program in the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) used in the 2025 polls from version 3.4.0 to version 3.5.0.
The respondents also allegedly allowed the election results to pass through Data Center 3, which the complainants noted as an 'illegal, unauthorized server.'
The complaint also flagged Comelec's move to delete around 5 million votes of vote discrepancy without the participation of the five transparency groups, namely: Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections, the media, the dominant majority political party, and the dominant minority political party.
In a statement, Garcia said Comelec is open to any investigation surrounding the 2025 polls, noting that the agency observed an orderly, honest, transparent, peaceful, and credible election.
'Pinagkakatiwalaan po ng sambayanan ang NBI at ganun din po kami sa Komisyon. Lahat po ng mga binabanggit nila ay matagal at paulit-ulit na po naming nasagot at pinabulaanan,' Garcia said.
'Ang mga ganitong hindi pagsang-ayon o salungat ng paninindigan ay atin pong inaasahan bilang isang larawan ng malusog na demokrasya,' he added.
(The public trusts the NBI, and we at the Commission do as well. All the issues they've raised have long been addressed and repeatedly denied. We expect these kinds of disagreements or opposing views as a reflection of a healthy democracy.)
The national and local elections were held on May 12, 2025.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
18 hours ago
- GMA Network
SC affirms Tamayo presidency of Marcos' Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
In a 19-page decision, the SC en banc affirmed the resolutions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dated September 6, 2024, and October 3, 2024, concerning the leadership dispute within the party. The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed that South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. is the national president of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party of President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. In a 19-page decision, the SC en banc affirmed the resolutions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) dated September 6, 2024, and October 3, 2024, concerning the leadership dispute within the party. The poll body had dismissed the petition of former Catanduanes Governor Leandro Verceles Jr. and former Capas, Tarlac Mayor Antonio Rodriguez Jr. to resolve the intra-party conflict within PFP for lack of merit. Verceles was claiming to be the PFP's national president, replacing Tamayo, following a supposed election among members in 2023. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was claiming to be the elected secretary general of the party, succeeding retired police general Thompson Lantion. Both alleged that the terms of Tamayo as president, Lantion as secretary general, and George Briones as general counsel of PFP expired on September 18, 2023. Verceles and Rodriguez alleged that Tamayo et al's failure to conduct an election for PFP's national officers before the expiration of their terms of office 'resulted in a governance vacuum, leading to a constitutional crisis within the party.' To address the said crisis, the SC noted that the party's regional members convened and elected their officers in a meeting on December 14, 2023, which put Verceles in power as the national president and Rodriguez as secretary general of PFP. Despite the election, the two claimed that Lantion 'unlawfully submitted' a Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) to the Comelec on behalf of the PFP on October 4, 2023, even after his authority already expired. Verceles and Rodriguez argued that their SIUS submitted on December 20 of the same year was the valid one and should be recognized by the Comelec. The Comelec En Banc, however, said that the petition lacked merit, ruling that the Tamayo et al remained as the incumbent officials of the party. The poll body found that the elections conducted in December 2023 were invalid, ruling that Tamayo presented compelling evidence that the elections 'were not called by the proper authority, lacked the required quorum, and failed to comply with the proper notice requirements.' The SC, for its part, affirmed the Comelec en banc's decision and denied the petition for certiorari. The High Court stated that it finds no reason to receive the Comelec's finding regarding the late submission of Verceles and Rodriguez's SIUS as it was well past the Comelec's September 30, 2023, deadline, thus making Tamayo and others' submission 'the valid one.' 'The COMELEC committed no error in refusing to acknowledge Verceles and Rodriguez's SIUS, which was submitted late and without authority,' the SC said. 'To conclude, the COMELEC's findings of fact, based on substantial evidence, are considered final and binding by this Court, especially as the Petition failed to show an arbitrary or whimsical exercise of jurisdiction on the part of the COMELEC,' it added. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
a day ago
- GMA Network
Man arrested for sexual abuse of minor niece —NBI
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday announced the arrest of an individual over the sexual abuse of his minor niece in Rizal. Agent-in-charge Atty. Czar Eric Niqui said the subject had been sexually abusing the victim since she was 7 years old. The victim is now 14 years old. 'Meron pong instances kasi na nag-umpisa ito nung namatay 'yung tatay nung ating complainant and it so happened na 'yung ating subject ay naatasang mag-alaga sa mga bata na anak nitong complainant,' he said in a media briefing. (There were instances because this started when the father of our complainant died, and it so happened that our subject was assigned to take care of the children of this complainant.) 'At doon sa pagkakataon na iyon ay kanyang inumpisahang gahasain at gawan ng mali at malaswa itong bata,' he added. (At that point, he started sexually abusing and doing bad things to this child.) He said the man would threaten the victim that he would kill their family if she told anyone what was happening. However, the victim opened up to her mother about what was being done to her when the mother told the victim that she will be brought to her grandmother. 'This prompted the victim na sumigaw at sabihin na may nangyayari sa kanya doon sa bahay ng kanyang lola. At doon na nalaman ng complainant kung paano nag umpisa at nag tuloy 'yung panggagahasa sa kanyang anak,' Niqui said. (This prompted the victim to scream and tell her what was happening at the house of her grandmother. It was then that the complainant found out how the sexual abuse started and continued.) Niqui said the man underwent inquest proceedings for violation of Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, as amended. The NBI also referred to the inquest prosecutor to conduct a preliminary investigation on the past incidents of sexual abuse against the victim.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Comelec faces complaint for ‘system interference' in 2025 polls
A group of religious, former officials, and civil society organizations on Thursday filed a complaint against Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Garcia and other officials over their alleged interference with the software used in the 2025 Philippine elections. Among the 16 complainants were lawyer Alex Lacson, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, former Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines president Franklin Ysaac, and Isabela Vice Mayor Harold Respicio. Aside from Garcia, six Comelec commissioners and three other people were named respondents. They face 110,000 counts of system interference, representing the 110,000 ACMs used in the 2025 elections. They were also charged with another 55,874,700 counts of system interference, representing the 55,874,700 votes they consolidated in Data Center 3. The complainants said the respondents allegedly violated Paragraph 4, Section 4 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. This states that system interference is the 'intentional alteration or reckless hindering or interference with the functioning of a computer or computer network, by inputting, transmitting, deleting, deteriorating, altering, or suppressing computer data or program, electronic document, or electronic data message, without right or authority.' The complaint filed before the National Bureau of Investigation alleged that Comelec substituted the certified and audited software program in the Automated Counting Machines (ACMs) used in the 2025 polls from version 3.4.0 to version 3.5.0. The respondents also allegedly allowed the election results to pass through Data Center 3, which the complainants noted as an 'illegal, unauthorized server.' The complaint also flagged Comelec's move to delete around 5 million votes of vote discrepancy without the participation of the five transparency groups, namely: Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections, the media, the dominant majority political party, and the dominant minority political party. In a statement, Garcia said Comelec is open to any investigation surrounding the 2025 polls, noting that the agency observed an orderly, honest, transparent, peaceful, and credible election. 'Pinagkakatiwalaan po ng sambayanan ang NBI at ganun din po kami sa Komisyon. Lahat po ng mga binabanggit nila ay matagal at paulit-ulit na po naming nasagot at pinabulaanan,' Garcia said. 'Ang mga ganitong hindi pagsang-ayon o salungat ng paninindigan ay atin pong inaasahan bilang isang larawan ng malusog na demokrasya,' he added. (The public trusts the NBI, and we at the Commission do as well. All the issues they've raised have long been addressed and repeatedly denied. We expect these kinds of disagreements or opposing views as a reflection of a healthy democracy.) The national and local elections were held on May 12, 2025.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
