Group calls for manual recount citing massive disenfranchisement

The Makabayan Bloc, composed of four progressive party-list groups, staged a protest in front of the Cebu Provincial Capitol on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, to denounce what they described as “massive disenfranchisement” during the recent midterm elections.

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The coalition—comprising Gabriela, ACT Teachers, Bayan Muna, and Kabataan Partylist called for a manual recount of ballots, citing irregularities in the electronic vote transmission and alleged cases of voter suppression across the country.

Kabataan Partylist Central Visayas spokesperson Jose Paulo Echavez expressed concern over reported discrepancies in vote counting.

“Naka-record mi’g instances diri sa Cebu wherein naay volunteer sa Kabataan Partylist iyahang gi-shade ang Kabataan, ang nigawas sa election receipt kay PBBM na Partylist,” said Echavez.

He also reported that in some precincts, particularly those without automated counting machines (ACMs), voters were asked to hand over their ballots to election officers who then brought them into a separate room for feeding.