Comelec-7 director outlines election protest realities amid Rama’s filing

CEBU, Philippines — As former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama pursues an election protest following his third-place finish in the 2025 midterm polls, Commission on Elections (Comelec)- 7 Director Francisco Pobe laid out the

reality of the process and the uncertainty of its outcome, which may not favor the protestant.

In an interview Tuesday, Pobe explained that filing an election protest essentially challenges the proclaimed results.

To do this, he said, the protestant must allege, disprove, and dispute that there were “irregularities and anomalies” committed during the election.

According to him, these factors are crucial, as they give the candidate a chance to reverse the decision and have the results proclaimed in their favor.

Upon filing an election protest, Pobe said there are chances that a hearing will follow, just like in any court. This hearing gives all parties a chance to explain and respond.

As for the request for a manual recount, Pobe said this will be at the discretion of either the court or the Comelec.

He explained that a manual recount must be undertaken by a committee, with options for physical counting of ballots or rechecking the digital storage where results are kept.

If the manual recount is granted, Pobe said the protestant must specify the area being contested.

However, he added that a manual recount comes with significant costs, which will be shouldered by the protestant. According to Pobe, every precinct mentioned in the protest incurs a cost of ?25,000 each.

Pobe added that these results would then be compared with results from various barangays up to the level of canvassing units to determine any discrepancies.

On the timeframe, Pobe said that as much as Comelec would like to expedite the process, it cannot be avoided that multiple issues may be raised. Among these are possible postponements and other motions that may prolong the proceedings.

Pobe admitted, however, that there have been numerous cases where election protest processes were expedited.

“Daghan na. Chances are man gud kining atong proseso sa Pilipinas, they are giving deliberates of remedial measures,” said Pobe.

He explained that this means if a party is not satisfied with the court’s decision, it can still elevate the case to other courts, namely the Court of Appeals, the Comelec, or even the Supreme Court.

With this, Pobe said that no one can tell the exact timeframe of how long an election protest will last, as all parties are granted full privileges to file appeals and motions. Once an election protest is filed, Pobe said it will be brought before their division, which is the Comelec en banc.

Rama filed an election protest before the National Office of Comelec last week. This came after he finished third in the recently concluded elections, refusing to concede following glitches with the Automated Counting Machines (ACM), which he personally experienced while casting his vote.

Pobe, on the other hand, said that this protest does not have to go through the regional office.

“It will be up really to the parties on how they will be going to make fast and speedy disposition,” he said.

He added that the election protest also carries the possibility that the result may not favor the protestant. He emphasized, however, that what’s important for Comelec is that the issues brought by the protestant are addressed.

“Mayman ana, maniguro ka nga ang imong giprotestaan nga presincto, tinuod or otherwise gausik ka sa imong kwarta,” he explained.

Rama served as Cebu City mayor from 2010 to 2016 and again from November 2021, after assuming the post following the death of Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The official results of the 2025 midterm polls showed that Mayor-elect Nestor Archival garnered 256,197 votes, outgoing City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia received 176,967 votes, while Rama followed with 120,124 votes.

It can be recalled that the media witnessed Rama experiencing a long delay at the voting precinct when the ACM malfunctioned just as he was about to insert his ballot. Just a day after the elections, Rama called a press conference to express his refusal to concede.

Rama said the fight is not yet over, stating that he personally experienced glitches with the ACM, which caused an hour-long delay before he was able to officially cast his vote. — (FREEMAN)