EU to watch for foreign meddling in Eleksyon 2025

The European Union Election Observation Mission, deployed for Eleksyon 2025, will closely monitor foreign interference, election disinformation, vote buying, and other key concerns, according to Chief Observer Marta Temido.

The mission consists of 200 EU election observers.

“We have a social media analyst unit and a media analyst unit, both staffed with experts who focus on issues like election disinformation,” Temido said during a press conference on Friday.

“In addition, we have a press officer, legal analyst, and data analyst units. All the concerns you mentioned—foreign interference, hate speech, online manipulation—are being analyzed by our core team, along with insights from our 72 long-term observers and the remaining short-term observers,” she added.

The National Security Council previously flagged indications of Chinese interference in the upcoming midterm elections, allegedly through support for certain candidates. However, the Chinese government has denied these allegations.

Similarly, Senator Francis Tolentino accused China of hiring a Philippine-based public relations firm in 2023 to deploy online trolls.

Temido emphasized that foreign interference and election disinformation are global issues that election observers must now address.

“These have become common patterns in many elections worldwide. That’s why we’ve assembled an expert core team to analyze social media activity, including troll behavior and external influence on democratic processes,” she said.

Nonetheless, she stressed that these newer challenges are just as important as traditional electoral concerns such as voters' right to cast their ballots freely, freedom of expression, and access to information.

“We evaluate elections based on international and regional democratic standards, Philippine laws, and principles of good electoral practice. The EU applies a long-term and comprehensive methodology that covers every phase of the electoral process—from the legal framework and election administration to voter and candidate registration, campaign activities including financing, the role of traditional and social media, and the quality of information available to voters,” she explained.

Other issues monitored by the EU observers include the right to vote and run for office, freedom of movement and association, equal opportunities among candidates, and access to effective legal remedies.

“Of course, we’ll be on the ground for election day itself, monitoring polling, automated vote counting, and the tabulation of results—all of which are equally significant,” Temido said.

“I want to stress that this is a comprehensive, long-term observation mission. Every aspect of the process is important. While disinformation and foreign interference are emerging concerns, longstanding issues remain and require equal attention,” she concluded. — DVM, GMA Integrated News

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