EU observers give Comelec their final report on Eleksyon 2025

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday said it will review the recommendations of the European Union (EU) poll observers on the recent 2025 national and local elections (NLE). 

Members of the EU observation mission met with Comelec officials to formally turn over their final election observation report and recommendations, months after the conclusion of the May 12 midterm polls. 

“Ang pangako ng lahat ng bawat isang miyembro ng Comelec kanina, aaralin at kung may mga bagay na maisasama sa proposal na revised Omnibus Election Code (OEC) ay isasama pa namin para maisaayos,” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told reporters. 

(The promise of each and every Comelec en banc member is to review the report and if there is any recommendation that may be included in the proposal for the revised OEC, then we will include it.)

In April, the EU launched the election observation mission for Eleksyon 2025, deploying an initial 200 observers. More poll observers arrived in the country the following month. The international observers released their initial report on May 14, flagging widespread vote-buying; the continued dominance of political families; election-related violence, including on election day; and a legal framework that is fragmented and lacks grievance mechanisms.

According to Laudiangco, among the EU poll observers' recommendations are decreasing the number of voters per precinct to shorten lines. They also reiterated the issues on vote buying, and violence, and lauded the poll body’s transparency efforts, engagement with media, and expeditious actions on complaints of discrimination, and red-tagging. 

“Mukhang ang susi kasi sa lahat ng nakitang observations, dalawang bagay: pagbabago sa legislation at pagpapalaki ng pondo. Kung masosolusyunan ang dalawang bagay na ito, tingin namin pareho, magagampanan namin ang sinasabi nilang international standard at mas magandang pagpapalakad ng halalan,” he added. 

(We saw that the key to these observations are two things: the amendment of election laws and a higher budget for the polls. If a way can be found for these, we think we will be able to attain the international standard and a better way of conducting elections.)

The EU observation team said it will also submit its final report and recommendations to Congress. 

The Philippines held its midterm polls on May 12. — BM, GMA Integrated News

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