Leaders of the National Unity Party (NUP) have cautioned the Commission on Elections  (Comelec) against plans to revert to manual counting in the 2016 national elections, pointing out that such a move would violate existing laws.

Representatives Elpidio Barzaga Jr. and Karlo Alexei Nograles, who are both top officials of the NUP, said that even conducting hybrid balloting—a  combination of manual and computerized vote counting—would  violate provisions of Republic Act  9369, which calls for fully automated elections.

Barzaga is the vice president for external affairs of the party, while Nograles is the vice president for internal affairs.

The two NUP leaders issued the warning after the Supreme Court nullified the controversial P268 million contract granted by the Comelec to Smartmatic-TIM for the repair and maintenance of some 82,000 Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines that  would be re-used in the 2016 elections.

“There should be no return to manual voting. Comelec should exert efforts to ensure that the May 9, 2016 national elections will still be automated like in 2010,” Barzaga said.

Barzaga, a lawyer, warned that Comelec officials could be impeached if they insist on conducting manual elections next year.

He likewise pointed out that manual voting  would only open the polls to widespread cheating and set back the progress that the country has made in preserving the integrity of its electoral system.

Nograles, on the other hand, called on the Comelec to come clean and declare this early whether or not it is capable of holding fully automated elections next year following the Supreme Court setback.

“We need Comelec to be honest and transparent with us. Is Comelec still capable of a fully automated election? Is there enough time for it?” Nograles said.

Nograles said reverting to manual or hybrid polls would require new legislation.

“It’s not as simple as that (going back to manual). If we need to go hybrid or go back to manual we also need to change the law. Because right now as presently worded, our national elections mandate a fully automated election system,” explained Nograles, who is also a lawyer.

Nograles echoed Barzaga’s warning against manual vote counting.

“Manual elections mean slower elections, slower counting, slower results. It also means greater dependence on human intervention and human subjectivity so many more people have to keep a closer watch,” he noted. “Obviously it’s messier.”