Defeated senatorial candidate Phillip Salvador has joined the growing call for manual counting in the wake of the 2025 midterm elections, citing concerns raised by voters about the transparency of the electoral process.
In a recent interview, Salvador said he received messages from supporters expressing doubt about what happened to their votes, despite his strong showing during the campaign.
“Alam niyo po, madami ang nagtatanong na kapwa Pilipino. Ano po ang nangyari sa boto namin?” he said.
“’Yung manual counting, sinasabi ng mga kasama… doon ako nakikinig.”
Salvador garnered 9,643,990 votes, landing him in the 19th spot, just outside the winning circle for Senate seats.
His remarks echo those of another defeated senatorial bet, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, who also called for a return to manual counting. However, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already clarified that such a move is not feasible under current conditions.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that under the Automated Election Law, the agency lacks both the legal framework and the budget to support a full manual count.
“Wala po kasi tayong budget para diyan… simula noong 2010, wala na po tayong ganyang klaseng pagbibilang,” Garcia explained.
“Kung pagbibigyan natin sila, sino ang magbibilang? Saan bibilangin? Magkano ang budget? Saan kukuhain?”
He added that the only route to a manual recount would be through the filing of an election protest.
Despite not making it to the Senate, Salvador remains optimistic and says he holds no ill will about the outcome. Still, he emphasized the importance of giving his supporters clarity about what transpired during the vote count.
Meanwhile, a resurfaced video of Salvador speaking to a large crowd has gone viral, prompting some netizens—and even actress and former beauty queen Gloria Diaz—to weigh in. Diaz reportedly made a sharp comment after watching the clip, though details of her statement have yet to be confirmed publicly.
