Comelec files rap vs vice mayoral aspirant over poll manipulation videos

Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia, Commissioners Nelson Celis and Noli Pipo, and Task Force KKK Chairperson Atty. John Rex Laudiangco filed a cybercrime complaint against a vice mayoral aspirant on Friday, February 28, 2025 at the City of Prosecutor’s Office in Manila City Hall. (Photo by Dianne Sampang/INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — A task force of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday filed a complaint before the City Prosecutor’s Office of Manila against an Isabela vice mayoral aspirant for alleged violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

According to Task Force KKK sa Halalan, lawyer and accountant Jeryll Harold Respicio posted on his Facebook page videos demonstrating how to manipulate the 2025 elections by hacking the automated counting machines and the local source code.

Respicio is a vice mayoral aspirant in Reina Mercedes in Isabela province.

“This is dangerous. Aside from misinformation, this is dangerous because the public is being conditioned that the elections can be rigged,” Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said in Filipino in an ambush interview.

“Think about this. If he wins, he will say that it’s because of his manipulation, but if he loses, he will say that others manipulated the results of the elections,” he added.

Garcia also noted that this is the first cybercrime-related complaint filed by Task Force KKK for the 2025 elections. The task force, formed in July 2024, is tasked to combat and monitor disinformation and misinformation.

READ: Comelec forms task force vs media stunts

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, chairperson of the task force, said in a separate interview that the videos posted by Respicio on Facebook page named “Alvin & Harold” last January 24 and January 25 were taken down on February 10.

Other complaints

Laudiangco said the Comelec would also file a disqualification case against Respecio for violating Section 261 (z)(11) of the Omnibus Election Code by propagating false information to disrupt the election process or cause confusion among voters.

According to Garcia, they would also file a disbarment case against Respicio and file a complaint before the Professional Regulation Commission seeking to revoke his accountancy license

“If they think this is funny, for the Comelec it is not,” Garcia said in Filipino.

‘Safe election process’

READ: Comelec airs warning vs ‘IT experts’ who offer to rig polls

Garcia assured the public that the 2025 elections would be safe amid hacking and manipulation claims. He said the poll body is transparent in showing the election process from the start and end of the voting period.

“We have made our elections more transparent by adding features that ensure votes can be verified and questions can be answered, allowing everyone to confirm: Was my vote counted?” he added.

Garcia also reiterated that election watchdogs Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, majority and minority parties, and the media practitioners who will receive election results can compare their copies to see if they match the votes being canvassed in every region.

 ‘An IT expert’

Respicio issued a statement following the filing of the complaint, saying that aside from being a lawyer, he is also an IT expert. 

“Kinasuhan ako ng Comelec dahil sa Facebook video kung saan inilahad ko ang malubhang kahinaan ng voting machines,” Respicio said.

(Comelec filed a case against me because of a Facebook video where I revealed the vulnerability of voting machines.)

“Kapag nakakonekta sa Internet ang machine bago i-print ang election returns, maaaring madaya ang eleksyon,” Respicio added. 

(If the machine is connected to the internet before election returns are printed, the election can be rigged.)

In response, Garcia said that Respicio might have misunderstood the poll body’s process of transmitting votes. 

“Mukha po kasing yung kanyang understanding, magtatransmit kaagad ang bawat makina at after transmission saka mag iimprenta ng election returns. Bago makapagtransmit, alam na ng lahat ang boto sa bawat presinto so paano mo siya mahahack?” Garcia said on the sidelines of Signing of Pledge of Support for Task Force KKK.

(His understanding seems to be that the machines will immediately transmit votes before printing election returns. Before transmission, everyone knows the votes in every precinct so how can it be hacked?)

Garcia reiterated that since election returns are printed before the votes are transmitted, the votes can easily be determined once the ninth copy of the election return is printed and posted in every polling precinct.

Further, the Comelec chief said that the automated counting machines are considered as “stand alone machines” as they can function even when being plugged out of electricity due to its long-lasting battery life.

He also pointed out that a transmission device will only be connected once election results are printed and posted.

“Lahat ay pwedeng maging eksperto sa kahit na anong field lalo na kapag ganitong election. Sa amin lang, yung ganyang kasagutan, magandang maihanda na niya kapag pinasagot na siya ng prosecutor’s office,” Garcia stated.

(Everyone can be an expert in any field especially in this kind of election. We believe that he must ready that kind of answer once the prosecutor’s office asks for it.)