Comelec shuns hybrid system proposal for 2025 elections

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections has ignored the proposal of poll watchdog Kontra Daya to consider using the hybrid election system in the May 2025 national and local elections.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the Comelec is not open to the idea of making use of a hybrid election system as this would go against Republic Act 9369 or the Poll Automation Law.

“The Poll Automation Law mandates pure automation and the budget given to the Commission is for pure automation only,” Garcia said in an interview.

Under RA 9369, it is the state’s policy to improve the election process by adopting systems that shall involve “the use of an automated election system.”

Garcia also pointed out that the hybrid election system would cause a significant delay in the entire electoral process.

“Three days have passed already and still we haven’t finished the counting at the precinct level,” he said.

The hybrid election system provides for manual voting and counting at the precinct level and an automated transmission and canvassing of results.