Manila, Philippines — Detained televangelist and senatorial candidate Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has called for a manual recount of senatorial votes, citing alleged irregularities in the recent elections.
The statement was released Monday night through Quiboloy’s official spokesperson, Atty. Israelito Torreon, who also expressed gratitude to the Filipino people who voted for the religious leader.
Quiboloy is among the “DuterTEN,” a slate of 10 senatorial candidates endorsed by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Based on partial and unofficial results, Quiboloy is currently ranked 31st among the senatorial candidates, with nearly 5.6 million votes.
However, Torreon emphasized that the battle does not end with the election results.
He raised concerns over several reported anomalies, including overvoting, inconsistencies in ballot readings, and other electoral irregularities.
Because of these issues, Torreon said Quiboloy is demanding a manual recount of the senatorial votes.
Earlier, Torreon urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to consider implementing manual vote counting at the precinct level for the upcoming May 2025 elections.
He warned that automated processes could compromise the integrity and cybersecurity of the electoral system.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, however, responded that such a move is not permissible under Republic Act No. 9369 or the Automated Election Law, which mandates automated voting and counting at the precinct, municipal, provincial, and national levels.
