Former mayoral candidate Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab filed an election protest on Thursday before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Main Office, demanding a manual recount of votes in all 239 clustered precincts in the City of San Fernando.

The protest was submitted by lead counsel Atty. Arnold Bayobay and Atty. Jeffrey Joseph Miranda, who presented over 13,000 sworn affidavits from voters across multiple precincts. According to Atty. Miranda, this is the first electoral protest filed at the COMELEC main office following the recent local elections.

The protest challenges the election results citing statistical inconsistencies, including the fact that Pineda-Cayabyab did not win in any precinct. It also raises concerns about vote distribution across demographics, suggesting possible irregularities in the automated election system.

In the May elections, Mayor-elect Vilma Caluag received 127,124 votes (61.29%), while Pineda-Cayabyab obtained 49,061 votes (23.65%).

Along with the manual recount, the protest demands the immediate preservation of election documents and digital evidence—including vote counting machines and SD cards—to ensure transparency and protect the electoral process.

Pineda-Cayabyab said the protest aims to uphold voters’ rights and guarantee that every valid vote is properly counted.

The COMELEC is currently reviewing the protest.

Separate election protests have also been filed by councilor candidates Kristel “Ato” Agustin and Tin “Kings” Chua, both running under the Kambilan party.