Violence, ‘credible’ signs of vote-buying mar Philippines midterm election: EU observers

The EU mission, invited by Manila, found ‘unacceptable levels of election-related violence’ and a legal framework in need of urgent reform

Vote-buying, entrenched political dynasties and deadly violence cast a shadow over the Philippines’ midterm election, according to European Union observers, who warned the country’s democracy faced serious structural challenges despite a strong turnout at the ballot box.

The May 12 poll, overseen by the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) witnessed high turnout and robust media coverage, but also “unacceptable levels of election-related violence” and “credible indications” of vote-buying through cash, goods and partisan welfare handouts, the mission’s chief observer Marta Temido told a press conference on Wednesday.

Temido, a member of the European Parliament, said voters had shown “strong commitment to democracy and civic values despite the persistence of vote-buying” – a practice the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had only “partially addressed” through stricter regulations.

The EU deployed its mission following a formal request from the Philippine government, with observers monitoring campaign activities, voter turnout and security conditions across dozens of provinces.

Temido said the election had taken place against the backdrop of limited electoral competitiveness due to “the continued dominance of a few political families” and “subjective limitations on the right to stand”.

She noted that at least 10 people had been killed on election day, mostly in municipal and city-level contests, and that political violence had created “an atmosphere of widespread intimidation in several provinces”.

Observers also documented “at least 30 killings of candidates and election officials” during the broader election period, with violence particularly acute in local contests.

Vladimir Prebilič, head of the European Parliament delegation, said the campaign environment had also been distorted by “the misuse of state resources, vote-buying, and weak campaign finance rules”, which he described as undermining the electoral playing field.

Temido attributed vote-buying to poverty, saying “when daily life is a struggle, then some food, a small amount of money, or essential services offered in exchange for votes can feel like a tangible benefit”.

The EU team also received reports on voter inducements from several provinces like Bohol, Davao Oriental and Palawan.

At the same time, the EU mission acknowledged positive aspects of the election, including the vibrancy of the campaign and pluralistic media coverage that “enhanced voters’ ability to make an informed choice”.

Blocked from polling stations

Although the EU mission had been invited and deployed well in advance of election day, its ability to fully observe the electoral process was compromised when Comelec blocked access to several polling precincts – a move the delegation said contradicted prior agreements and undermined its mandate.

EU and Filipino authorities had arranged for observers to access all polling stations and counting centres, Temido said, with mission members required to adhere to Comelec’s guidelines for international observers as well as the EU EOM’s code of conduct.

EU observers were reportedly denied entry to eight of 92 precincts while voting was under way. One precinct also turned away monitors during the canvassing of votes on election night.

The EU mission had intended to field 226 observers nationwide, including 72 long-term and 100 short-term monitors that were deployed in March and April, but Temido said the restrictions meant the team could not operate at full capacity.

“If Comelec had told the European Union that access to polling precincts was not granted to international observers, you can be sure that we would not be here today. We would not have deployed the mission at all,” Temido said. “The decision to not allow us into precincts was communicated to us just four days before elections.”

When asked why they thought Comelec had denied them entry, deputy chief observer Manuel Sanchez De Nogues told This Week in Asia: “It is not for EU EOM to speculate on their reason.”

While the EU would provide recommendations for the Philippine government based on their observation in two months, De Nogues said that one of these was likely to touch on campaign financing, noting that the country’s current legislation was “insufficient [and] needs to be updated”.

We see ourselves as election observers, nothing more, nothing less. Election observers are neither police agents nor judgesSanchez De Nogues, EU’s deputy chief election observer

The EU was also likely to recommend updates to the country’s legal framework for elections, as multiple laws had “largely superseded the 1985 Omnibus Election Code, with nearly half of its provisions no longer applicable, creating confusion and undermining legal certainty, as it is the case with provisions on election observation”, Temido said.

De Nogues praised the voter turnout, which Comelec data showed was a record 82.2 per cent, the highest ever for midterm polls in the country.

Regarding its function in ensuring the safety of elections globally, De Nogues told This Week in Asia: “We see ourselves as election observers, nothing more, nothing less … Election observers are neither police agents nor judges.”

He said that we do not see ourselves as part of an electoral process that belongs to the citizens. “That is why we say that EU election observation missions are always deployed in the spirit of cooperation and partnership.”