The PDP-Laban party filed a petition before the Supreme Court on Monday calling for a manual recount of senatorial votes in the 2025 elections.
Lawyer Israelito Torreon filed a motion for leave to file supplemental petition for mandamus for the vote recount.
The petition was filed by the party, as represented by its National Vice Chairman Alfonso Cusi.
“Whether such manual counting or recount be partial, targeted, or nationwide, petitioners humbly leave the same to the sound discretion of his Honorable Court, with due regard to the extent of necessity, efficiency, and economy or cost-effectiveness in implementing the pertinent election laws,” PDP-Laban said in the petition.
The party said the call for the recount is based on Republic Act No. 9369 or the Automated Election System Act and Republic Act and Batas Pambansa Blg. 881 or the Omnibus Election Code.
PDP-Laban noted that Section 31 of RA No. 9369 mandates the traditional manual counting of votes to ensure free, honest and credible elections.
Among the cited irregularities were the discovery of equipment such as Starlink transmission devices and solar panels in a private residence in Brgy. Buhangin, Davao City, highlighting “potential conflict of interest.”
“The proposed supplemental petition is being submitted together with this motion and it seeks merely to incorporate the updated facts or recent developments- transactions, occurrences, or events which have happened subsequent to the filing of the original petition – to aid in the full, fair, and fast adjudication of the issues already raised in the original petition,” PDP-Laban said.
The party also alleged that there were rampant mismatches between actual ballot and voter receipt as well as more than 17 million senatorial votes excluded in the tally as “overvotes.”
PDP-Laban senatorial candidate Atty. Jimmy Bondoc joined Torreon in the filing of the motion at the Supreme Court.
“What is essential is that the mandated process under our prevailing election laws be carried out, so that the truth may be known, accountability may be identified and exacted, and public confidence in the electoral process may be restored,” PDP-Laban said.
