MANILA - At least three Catholic bishops are calling for the suspension of proclamation of winners in the May 13 midterm elections.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, and Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias they saw fault in the conduct of the elections and "overwhelming accusations of tampering" and manipulation of results should be investigated.

The prelates cited a high number of vote counting machines (VCMs) with glitches and secure digital (SD) cards which malfunctioned during the polls. They also noted the alleged existence of pre-shaded ballots and questionable ballots receipts.

The bishops also questioned the seven-hour glitch in the Commission on Elections' transparency server.

"These irregularities and possible logistical tamperings already cast doubt to the reliability of the election results," the bishops said in the statement.

"We question the suspicious behavior and sidesteps employed by the Comelec to avoid addressing the aforementioned issues and the data blackout in a comprehensive manner and in sufficient detail."

The bishops added that until an impartial investigation is made, there will be no closure on the questions of integrity and credibility of the elections.

"No amount of name-calling and threats from the part of those silencing protests can repress the call for transparency," the bishops said.

The Comelec has yet to proclaim the winners in the senatorial and party-list race. The poll body has already postponed the proclamation twice, as of Tuesday.

Earlier, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) denied that the group has made a call to suspend the proclamation of winners in the recently concluded polls.