A COALITION of bishops, retired generals, former government officials and civic leaders yesterday filed a cybercrime complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Anti-Fraud Division against Commission against Election chairman George Garcia and other poll officials.
The complainants, who belong to the Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan and Church Leaders Council for National Transformation, named as respondents Garcia, Commissioners Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr., Nelson Celis, Aimee Feralino-Ampoloquio, Roy Bulay, Noli Pipo and Norina Tangaro-Casingal and accused them of allegedly committing illegal acts involving the automated election system (AES).
They said the Comelec officials can be held liable for supposedly violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, particularly on the cybercrime of “system interference” by allowing and instituting a “man-in-the middle intermediary server” and used an unauthorized source code during the May 12 midterm national and local elections.
They said the respondents committed 110,000 counts of system interference, representing the 110,000 automated counting machines (ACMs) used during the elections in alleged violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, specifically Paragraph 4, Section 4(a).
In addition, they said the respondents should also be held liable for 55,874,700 counts of system interference in violation of RA 10175 representing the 55,874,700 votes that they purportedly routed, consolidated, and processed through the illegal and unauthorized intermediary server or system in Data Center 3.
The said provision of RA 10175 states that the cybercrime of system interference is committed when there is intentional alteration or interference with the functioning of a computer network or computer by inputting, transmitting, deleting, altering or suppressing the data or program without right or authority.
The complainants said the respondents allowed the unauthorized changing or substitution of the certified and audited software program version 3.4.0 installed in the ACMs used during the 2025 elections, with an uncertified and unaudited program version 3.5.0.
They also claimed that the respondents ordered and or allowed the election results from the ACMs in precincts nationwide to pass through an unauthorized and illegal intermediary server or system, in Data Center 3, which first received, consolidated and processed the election results before they were sent or forwarded to the designated five Transparency Servers, namely: the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, National Movement for Free Election, Dominant Majority Political Party, and Dominant Minority Political Party, and for cleaning up and or deleting around five million votes for vote discrepancy all by itself, without the presence or participation of any of the five groups.
One of the complainants, lawyer Alex Lacson told reporters the filing of the complaint is meant to ferret the truth if there was manipulation or alteration of the election results.
“We are not asking for a recount. We are not asking for the nullification of the results of the elections. We just want to establish meron bang, nagkaroong, dayaan (if there was cheating), manipulation, alteration of the electoral results,” Lacson said.
“We just want to establish kung merong (if there is) criminal culpability ‘yung (on the) Comelec. That’s why we are inviting the NBI to make this investigation,” he added.
Lacson said what they cited in their complaints are “very disturbing signs” of irregularities in the elections.
Aside from Lacson, the other complainants include Bishop Colin Bagaforo, Bishop Gerry Alminaza, Bishop Efraim Tendero, Bishop Roberto Gaa, Mayor Benjamin Magalong; retired military officials including Gen. Generoso Senga, PMGen. Wilfredo Franco, BGen. Alejandro Camagay, BGen. Eliseo Rio (Ret), former Comelec Commissioner Augusto Lagman, former FINEX president Franklin Isaac, former FINEX president Edwin Fernandez, Capt. Roberto Yap (Rsgd), Fr. Wilmer Tria, lawyer Melchor Magdamo, and lawyer Harold Respicio.
Garcia said the entire Comelec en banc is ready to address the concerns raised by the group before the NBI.
“I, together with the members of the Commission en banc, as government employees, are ready to face and answer questions, and any investigation or analysis regarding the past elections,” he said.
“We have full confidence in the NBI to fulfill its duty for an objective and fair investigation as expected by every Filipino,” he added.
The poll chief said that they have already adequately and repeatedly answered all the allegations raised by the petitioners.
“All the allegations mentioned are long-standing, and we have repeatedly answered and explained, and have also strongly refuted the false accusations,” said Garcia.
“We expect and respect the expression of diverse opinions as a proof of a healthy democracy in our country,” he also said.
On the other hand, he said they are fully confident that they can defend their actions in the last poll exercise as they are supported by other organizations and sectors.
“We, at the Comelec, are not the only ones who say that the election results were generally fair, honest, open, peaceful, and credible. This is confirmed, reported, and published by expert local and international observers, who monitored and followed the past elections,” he said. – With Gerard Naval
