Pimentel calls for Senate inquiry on legality, implementation of internet voting for overseas filipinos

PHILIPPINES, April 26 - Press Release
April 25, 2025

PIMENTEL CALLS FOR SENATE INQUIRY ON LEGALITY, IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNET VOTING FOR OVERSEAS FILIPINOS

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III called for a Senate investigation into the legality and implementation of internet voting for Overseas Filipino voters in the 2025 national and local elections, raising concerns about system glitches, security risks, and questions of legal authority.

In Senate Resolution No. 1344, Pimentel urged the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation to examine whether the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) acted within its authority and whether the system meets standards for transparency, voter verifiability, and electoral integrity.

"The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation is directed to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, without disregarding the power of said Committee to conduct investigations motu proprio, on the legality of the adoption as well as the implementation of internet voting for Overseas Filipino voters in the 2025 National and Local Elections," Pimentel said in the resolution.

The senator cited numerous complaints from Filipinos abroad regarding the ongoing online voting process, including missing vote confirmation receipts, inaccessible online platforms, and interface glitches that reportedly caused confusion and distrust among voters.

Some users also alleged that the QR codes generated by the system displayed mismatched or unreadable voting data when scanned, raising concerns about verifiability, according to the senator.

"These incidents have circulated widely on social media platforms and news outlets, amplifying fears of possible electoral fraud or technical failure," Pimentel said. "This highlights the urgent need to assess whether the internet voting system sufficiently meets standards of security, transparency, voter verifiability, and electoral accountability."

As of April 21, only about 80,000 of the 1.2 million registered overseas voters had signed up for internet voting. Pimentel said the low turnout may reflect lingering doubts about the system's accessibility, legality, and reliability.

He added that several organizations have filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the implementation of internet voting for overseas Filipinos, questioning whether the COMELEC had legal authority to unilaterally launch the system.

The resolution pointed to Sections 23 and 28 of Republic Act No. 9189, as amended by RA 10590, noting that while the law allows the COMELEC to "explore" new methods of voting, it requires the poll body to submit recommendations to the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee, rather than implement them outright.

"There are those who hold the legal position that the two cited sections of the law must be read together and would result in the conclusion that the COMELEC does not have the authority to motu proprio adopt online voting," Pimentel said.

Pimentel stressed the need to ensure that the online voting system complies with existing laws and upholds the principles of transparency, accountability, and electoral integrity.