By Gabriel Kim Leal
(February 28, 2025) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday filed a cyberlibel complaint against a vice mayor candidate in Isabela over social media videos alleging that the vote-counting machines (VCMs) are vulnerable to hacking.
According to a report by the Philippine Star, Comelec chairperson George Garcia personally filed the case against Jeryll Harrold Respicio, a lawyer and a certified public accountant (CPA).
Garcia said Respicio, who’s running in the town of Reina Mercedes, claimed in his videos on Facebook that he could manipulate the VCMs and election results using so-called “backroom programs.”
“Ito ay napaka-dangerous. Maliban sa misinformation, napakamapanganib. Sapagkat isipin niyo, ngayon pa lang, kinokondisyon ang sambayanan na puwedeng gawan ng paraan ang ating halalan,” added Garcia, as quoted in the report.
Respicio, who claims to be an information technology expert, dismissed the complaint as a retaliation.
“Kinasuhan ako ng Comelec dahil sa Facebook video, kung saan inilahad ko ang malubhang kahinaan ng voting machines. Kapag nakakonekta sa internet ang machine bago i-print ang election returns, maaaring madaya ang eleksyon,” said Respicio in a statement.
Garcia added that they are also preparing a disqualification case against Respicio, along with petitions seeking his disbarment and the revocation of his CPA license.
“Huwag din sana sabihin na onion-skinned ang Comelec. Sinabi na nating lalabanan natin ang fake news, ang misinformation and disinformation,” stressed Garcia.
Respicio ran as representative of the second district of Isabela in the 2022 elections but lost.
The Comelec disqualified former Caloocan representative Edgar Erice, a reelectionist in the upcoming midterm elections, over alleged misinformation after claiming irregularities in the poll body’s deal with South Korean firm Miru Systems. It won a contract worth around P18 billion to be the country’s service provider.
Last July, Garcia was accused of receiving $15 million in kickbacks allegedly deposited into 14 bank accounts in the Bahamas, supposedly linked to Miru Systems. He denied the allegation.
(PM)
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