Rama’s election protest a pricey cause

Local

FORMER Cebu City mayor Michael Rama’s attempt to challenge his third-place finish in the 2025 midterm elections has officially entered the legal arena, but not without hurdles.

Rama, who garnered only 120,124 votes, has filed an election protest before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Central Office in Manila, seeking a manual recount and citing what he called “unjust and questionable” results.

The protest followed his defeat by mayor-elect Nestor Archival, who secured 256,197 votes, and outgoing Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, who received 176,967.

“The 120,124 votes so far is the lowest number of votes which is said that I have garnered in all political exercises since 2021,” Rama said in a statement. “Figures will not lie, only liars cannot figure.”

Rama maintained that the official results do not reflect the political sentiment on the ground. He cited alleged voting irregularities, malfunctioning machines, and reports from supporters claiming discrepancies between their votes and the automated printouts.

But election authorities quickly reminded the public that overturning official results is no easy feat.

Comelec Region 7 Director Francisco Pobe emphasized that the burden of proof lies with the protester.

“He has to allege and prove that there were irregularities and anomalies during the elections that would justify reversing the proclamation,” Pobe said.

Pobe said any election protest would go through an extensive legal process involving multiple layers, from a Comelec division to the Commission en banc, and possibly the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. Delays can occur due to requests for information and postponements, he noted.

“Election protests are remedial measures under the law, but their resolution depends largely on how efficiently the parties move,” he added.

The process is also financially burdensome. Candidates must specify which precincts they are contesting and pay P25,000 per precinct for a recount.

“That’s why a complainant must be very sure about the precincts questioned,” Pobe said.

Rama said his team would gather testimonies and digital forensic evidence, and is advocating for a hybrid election system in future polls to ensure transparency from voting to canvassing.

Earlier, Comelec Chairman George Garcia acknowledged that a manual recount is legally permissible, but only under a formal election protest.

He warned, however, that the current Automated Election Law—Republic Act No. 9369—does not provide specific mechanisms or funding for such manual reviews.

“We don’t have a budget for manual counting. If we allow it, who will count? Where? How much will it cost? What’s the procedure?” Garcia said. “Right now, the Comelec’s hands are tied. We can’t act unless the law is changed.”

Garcia noted the 2025 elections highlight the need to revisit and revise the country’s outdated electoral laws, especially amid evolving technology and rising public skepticism.(TGP)