No manual counting for 2025 senatorial election
- FactRakers
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Commission on Elections has not conducted any manual count for the 2025 senatorial election, contrary to a claim by former broadcaster Jay Sonza.
Sonza falsely alleged in his Oct. 20 Facebook post that a supposed “manual counting” produced a different set of winning senators, naming Jimmy Bondoc, Jayvee Hinlo and Raul Lambino of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) Laban, as well as independent candidates Vic Rodriguez, Doc Mata and Apollo Quiboloy who were endorsed by the party. He said:
Result ng manual counting: OUT si Lacson, Sotto, Lapid, Aquino at Pangilinan...IN si Jimmy Bondoc, Vic Rodriguez, Jayvee Hinlo, Doc Mata/Pastor Quiboloy and Raul Lambino (The result of the manual counting: Lacson, Sotto, Lapid, Aquino, and Pangilinan are OUT… while Jimmy Bondoc, Vic Rodriguez, Jayvee Hinlo, Doc Mata/Pastor Quiboloy, and Raul Lambino are IN).
The senators whom Sonza claimed to have lost include Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who ran as an independent; Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Lito Lapid of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Benigno “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan of the Liberal Party.
Sonza attached an image of a Supreme Court notice dated last Sept. 30 granting the Office of the Solicitor General a second 30-day extension until Oct. 13 to file a comment on a supplemental petition for mandamus filed by PDP–Laban against Comelec and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The notice, however, does not mention any manual count or election results.
Although Sonza claimed a manual count had yielded different results, he also acknowledged in the same post that the manual count had yet to happen, saying:
It is our prayer that the Solicitor General will finally file its Comment so that our Petition to conduct manual counting will finally move forward
On April 3, PDP-Laban petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the implementation of Comelec resolutions 110614, 11076, 11079 and 11081, which set the guidelines for the voting and counting of votes in the May 12 elections. It said the measures run counter to Republic Act No. 9369, or the Amended Automated Election System (AES) Law, which they said also requires traditional manual vote counting.
PDP-Laban filed a supplemental petition for mandamus on June 13 and a motion for leave to file supplemental petition on June 19, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the poll.
Under RA 9369, national and local elections are conducted through automated voting, counting, transmission and canvassing of votes.
Under Section 24, Comelec is authorized to a manual count only if the automated election machines malfunction or show discrepancies during a random manual audit (RMA). Any discrepancy found during the RMA triggers an investigation and, if necessary, a limited manual recount for the affected precincts, not a nationwide manual counting of votes.
Comelec proclaimed the 12 duly elected senators on May 17, including Lacson, Sotto, Lapid, Aquino and Pangilinan whom Sonza falsely claimed lost senatorial the race based on a supposed manual count. Also proclaimed were Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato’ Dela Rosa, Rodante Marcoleta, Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, Camille Villar and Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos.
Sonza’s post has been shared and echoed by several social media influencers with large followings:Sir Jack Argota, 228,000 followers; Rob Rances, 152,000; Noel Sarifa, 220,000 and Ailyn Haffner, 247,000. As of writing, the post had drawn over 6,800 reactions, 631 comments and 2,100 shares.
FactRakers and other organizations have previously fact-checked Sonza’s erroneous claims including:
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Altered image of Toni Gonzaga flashing Marcos V sign spreads
Filipino soldiers have come near Typhon missile system, contrary to claims
Viral ‘Jay Sonza’ earthquake photos are partly false; MDRMMO verifying other locations
(MHA)