Filipino voters have shown “a strong commitment to democracy,” braving systemic flaws and election-related violence that marred the electoral process, election observers from the European Union (EU) said Wednesday.
“On 12 May, Filipino voters went to the polls, demonstrating a strong commitment to democracy and civic values, despite the persistence of vote-buying, which the Commission on Elections (Comelec) only partially addressed through regulations and initiatives,” said Chief Observer Marta Temido during a press conference in Manila, where she presented the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) Preliminary Statement.
“The elections took place against the backdrop of the continued dominance of a few political families, which detracted from the overall competitiveness,” she added.
Aside from vote-buying, Temido also pointed out that the elections were marred by election-related violence.
“EU observers witnessed several credible indications and received reports of vote-buying through cash and goods, as well as partisan distribution of welfare payouts (ayuda). Violent incidents marred the election process in some parts of the country, including through at least 30 killings of candidates and election officials,” she said.
While violence was more prevalent in local rather than national elections, “it influenced the overall atmosphere, resulting in widespread intimidation in several provinces,” she added.
“Violence during an election is utterly unacceptable, particularly when it results in the loss of dozens of lives,” said Vladimir Prebilič, Head of the Delegation of the European Parliament, who fully endorsed the EU EOM’s statement.
Despite the challenges, the campaign was vibrant and the media coverage pluralistic, providing voters with the necessary tools to make informed choices, the EU election observers said.
They said that while the Comelec ensured timely preparation of polling stations and the deployment of automated counting machines, the poll body was unable to fully uphold its commitments regarding EU observers’ access.
Consequently, the EU EOM was unable to deploy its full team of observers as originally planned, limiting its ability to assess the voting process in all precincts.
Although a limited number of EU observers were able to observe voting in some precincts, they were unable to provide a comprehensive evaluation.
After the close of polls, the EU EOM deployed 82 teams across 92 polling precincts nationwide, with eight of them being denied access.
According to the preliminary report, the Philippine legal framework for the election was based on multiple laws, but the absence of a unified legal structure led to confusion and undermined the certainty required for a fair process.
The EU observers pointed to Comelec rejection of two-thirds of the 184 Senate candidates and 20 out of 635 House candidates, saying that the lack of clear deadlines for resolving disputes hindered both the right to an effective remedy and the right to stand for election.
Members of the EU EOM has been present in the Philippines since March 28 following an invitation from Comelec. Its mandate was to assess the entire electoral process against the Philippines’ Constitution, laws, and international commitments for democratic elections.
The EU EOM, which deployed 226 observers from EU member states, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland, said it continues to monitor post-election developments; its final report with detailed recommendations will be published within two months of the conclusion of the electoral process.
