EU deploys for first time 72 election observers in PH

Manila Bulletin

The European Union (EU) for the first time has deployed 72 long-term election observers under its Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the Philippines to monitor and assess the process of the May 2025 midterm elections, EU-EOM Deputy Chief Observer Manuel Sanchez de Nogues said on Wednesday, April 16. (via Raymund Antonio | MB)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/16/eu-deploys-for-first-time-72-election-observers-in-ph   Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00We are all here, so we can get some help from the next couple of years.

00:07We have a lot of people that are making a lot of work.

00:13We are going to have to stay with us.

00:15We are going to be with you.

00:18We are going to have to stay with you.

00:21We are going to be with you.

00:23We are going to stay with you.

00:26For attending our call, my name is Manuel Sánchez de Noguez and I am the Deputy Chief

00:35Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to the Philippines.

00:39I am an European Union citizen from Spain.

00:43The government of the Philippines and the Commission on Elections invited the European

00:46Union to observe the national midterm and local elections to take place on the 12th

00:52of May, 2025.

00:54In response to that invitation, the EU deployed for the first time an EU Election Observation

01:00Mission to the Philippines.

01:02The mission started its activities at the end of March with a team of 11 experts that

01:10are based here in Manila.

01:12Today we are deploying 72 long-term observers that will be travelling in teams of two to

01:20the different regions of the country.

01:21We will deploy 36 teams of two observers in all regions of the country.

01:30What you will see here today is a representation of those 36.

01:3426 teams are already travelling to their regions by air and these teams that you see here, these

01:4310 teams will be travelling by road to their final destinations in the country.

01:50But the EU deployment continues next week, next month, sorry.

01:57On election week we will be joined by 100 short-term observers, a delegation of the European Parliament,

02:05and also EU member states accredited people of the United States that will join our efforts

02:12to observe the election.

02:13In total, the mission will be composed on an election day of more than 200 election observers.

02:21And how do we operate?

02:24The long-term election observers are the cornerstone of the EU election observation methodology.

02:31They will develop a very robust and consistent methodology that we have implemented for the

02:39last 25 years in 75 countries and in more than 200 election observation missions.

02:48The EU, as I said earlier, has developed a comprehensive and consistent election observation methodology

02:54that is implemented the same way in all countries where we observe.

03:00This methodology is based on several pillars.

03:05The first is comprehensiveness, which means that we observe all stages of the electoral process.

03:11Election season is not a one-day event, it's not only the event of the election day, but

03:15it's a process that starts with the registration of candidates, registration of voters.

03:19It also means that we need to assess the legal framework for elections.

03:25We also observe the campaign, the campaign finance, the candidate, the role of the media and the

03:31social media, which is very important, and of course, election day and polling and tally

03:36of the other votes proceedings.

03:38And finally, the election dispute resolution, the process of how election appeals and resolutions

03:44are resolved by the, I decided, by the competent authorities.

03:50That's why, that's why I say that it's, for us, it's not, it's not one-day event.

03:56It's an independent, we're independent.

03:58It means that we are, we abide by the international, by the international declaration of the principles

04:04on the election, on the election observation that was endorsed in the international nations

04:10in 20, in 2005.

04:12And also we abide by the laws of the country, by the laws of the Philippines, of the Philippines.

04:17And we assess elections against, of course, the laws of the country and of the, against

04:22international principles for democratic elections and political participation that were signed

04:27by the country, by the host country in this, in this regard.

04:32As I say, it's also a consistent, it's also independent.

04:36We don't interfere in the process with me.

04:38It means that we don't assess the process until the process is finished.

04:42For us, the process is somehow completed.

04:45For us, we will not make any assessment of the process until two days after the elections.

04:50That means on the 14th of May, where we will present publicly a statement of preliminary findings

04:57and conclusions, where we will have our observations until that moment.

05:01During that, between, I mean, after, before that moment, you will see that we will have visibility

05:08activity, that we will, we will, we are, we are transparent.

05:11We will show how we go, how do we work.

05:13You will see our observers in the field.

05:15You will see them in our social media and you will be, and you will see them working in

05:19the field.

05:20But they will not make, and we will not make any assessment of the process until the 14th of May.

05:25of May.

05:26of May.

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Transcript

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