BACOLOD CITY — Congressional candidate Evelio Leonardia has formally petitioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to allow manual counting and tallying of votes at the precinct level for local candidates in Bacolod City during the May 12, 2025 elections.
In a letter sent to Comelec chairman George Erwin M. Garcia on April 25, Leonardia urged the poll body to implement the manual process prior to the electronic transmission of results to the City Board of Canvassers. He said the move was aimed at protecting the integrity of the elections amid concerns of a “conflict of interest” involving a recent city government contract.
The petition stems from a P2.1 billion Public-Private Partnership (PPP) deal awarded in January to Highdata Infra Corp., a subsidiary of SMS Global Technologies, Inc., by incumbent Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez. The contract, which was ratified by the city council on March 5, covers the mayor’s Super City Project and was approved just weeks before the March 28 election ban on such transactions.
Leonardia questioned the deal, noting that SMS Global Technologies, Inc. is also a current service provider for Comelec’s 2025 overseas online voting system. He described the arrangement as “a clear and significant conflict of interest that compromises the sanctity of the ballot.”
Highdata Infra Corp. reportedly has a paid-up capital of under P2 million, raising further concerns about its capacity to handle such a large contract. “This is a highly questionable transaction,” said Atty. Jose Jireh Alimon, Leonardia’s legal counsel. “Given their technical access and familiarity with Comelec systems, the possibility of election interference cannot be ignored.”
Leonardia emphasized that his petition does not seek to discredit Comelec’s automated system but to add a layer of transparency and accountability. “The manual count at the precinct level will ensure all parties have physical copies of the results before electronic transmission,” he said.
He also called on Bacolod voters to stay vigilant against possible manipulation of vote transmission, and publicly challenged Mayor Benitez to support the petition to “remove all doubt and suspicion.”
In response, Comelec-Bacolod Election Officer Atty. Revo Sorbito confirmed that their office has received a copy of the urgent request. The national Comelec has not yet issued an official statement on the matter as of this writing.
Leonardia and Benitez are political rivals running under opposing slates in the upcoming local and national elections.
