The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) has recommended a “comprehensive review” and possible reforms on the Philippines’ electoral legal framework in hopes of addressing the gaps in the conduct of elections in the country following the 2025 midterm polls. (Video courtesy of EU EOM Philippines)
00:00The European Union Election Observation Mission to the Philippines releases today its final
00:07report on the observation of the 12 May 2025 national midterm elections.
00:16Upon the invitation of the Philippine authorities, the Election Observation Mission carried out
00:23its work between 28 March and to June 2025. The mission deployed 226 observers from European Union
00:33member states as well as from Canada, Norway and Switzerland. This final report is our legacy and
00:42presents the mission's findings and conclusions following a long-term observation of the electoral
00:49process. First, let me praise the Filipino voters. The turnout was unprecedented for a midterm election
01:00in this country and showed a strong commitment to democratic values despite persistent challenges
01:09that included electoral violence, vote buying, concentration of political power among a few
01:16families and a legal framework marked by significant gaps and ambiguities. These shortcomings call for
01:25reforms and for a comprehensive review of the electoral legal framework which have also been advocated by
01:34many Filipino politicians, candidates, officials, journalists and members of the civil society.
01:42In this report, we are echoing the voice of the hundreds of Filipino interlocutors we met during the mission.
01:53We reported what we observed but also their concerns and their suggestions. This final report includes a total of 21 recommendations
02:06that the election observation mission in line with its mandate now offers to the consideration of the Filipino
02:15politicians and electoral authorities, civil society and the public at large. The proposed recommendations involve
02:26all the electoral process from the campaign environment and finance to voting, counting and the tabulation of results.
02:35Among these, we have identified seven priority recommendations.
02:43The need to recordify and harmonize the legal framework to remove discrepancies and inconsistencies, including
02:52making explicit in the legislation the right of access to polling precincts to all duly accredited election
03:00observers and party representatives. The need to eliminate restrictions on the rights to vote and be elected
03:09for convicted imprisoned imprisoned citizens after a sentence has served. The need to repeal criminal
03:18defamation provisions, including for online activities in favor of civil sanctions.
03:24The need to introduce temporary special measures to achieve gender parity in order to see more
03:32women in elected and appointed positions. We also recommend that the Commission on Elections take effective
03:41measures to ensure the secrecy of the vote because we believe this is one of the most effective means
03:48to address vote buying. These measures could include, for example, improving the layout of polling precincts at
03:55booths, enhancing the training of electoral boards and strengthening voter education by explaining why the
04:04secrecy of voting is important. I will now go into into greater detail about our findings.
04:12The European Union Election Observation Mission Final Report finds that the COMELEC administered the elections
04:22efficiently, took proactive measures to promote inclusiveness and attempted to address and
04:28transit vote buying practices. However, the report also considers that COMELEC's extensive powers to exclude and
04:38disqualify candidates and disqualify candidates based on non-objective criteria and to suspend the
04:44proclamation of duly elected officials are not in line with key international commitments.
04:50The authority to reject nuisance candidates based on a subjective assessment of their credibility poses
04:59challenges for newcomers, reinforcing public perceptions that elections are dominated by elites,
05:06limiting political pluralism and establishing an uneven playing field. Before the elections, the COMELEC issued
05:15resolutions introducing changes on overseas voting, digital campaigning, disinformation, artificial intelligence
05:24and campaign activities. Resolutions addressing red tagging, vote buying and the use of discriminatory and sexist
05:33speech were largely welcomed. However, some of them introduced new rules, raising concerns about legal hierarchy and certainty.
05:45The Commission on Elections communicated effectively electoral preparations, including on the new automated
05:53counting machines and the use of social media platforms. Civil society organizations reported a marked
06:02improvement in information sharing. However, the report also reflects that the electoral administration
06:10responded dismissively or punitively to some concerns. This was the case of a cyber libel complaint
06:18filled by COMELEC against a candidate who expressed concerns about the potential hacking of automatic counting machines.
06:27regarding the legal framework. Regarding the legal framework, we believe that it provides a basis for democratic elections.
06:35However, nearly half of the provisions of the 1985 omnibus election code are superseded by the constitution and other laws,
06:46leaving the electoral legislation scattered and not harmonized.
06:50The key issues remain unaddressed, namely a comprehensive regulation of political parties and provisions to curb the dominance of political families.
07:03Several laws continue to impact human rights and electoral environment, including the Anti-Terrorism Act,
07:12the revised Panel Code, Cyber Crime Prevention Act and the Terrorism Financing Prevention Act.
07:20The report finds that freedom of press was respected during the campaign.
07:27Media interlocutors reported an improvement in the general atmosphere within the journalistic community,
07:34particularly at the national level. Nevertheless, long-standing challenges persisted, including
07:43attacks and intimidation against journalists, economic vulnerability and a prevailing culture of impunity.
07:53Regarding this information, we find positive that the electoral administration established a dedicated task force
08:00that collaborated with 24 organizations to identify and remove harmful content.
08:07However, our findings show that some candidates boosted their campaigns by artificially increasing
08:14the number of their followers on social media.
08:19A final note to mention our findings on complaints and appeals.
08:24Although the procedures are consistent with international standards, the deadline for resolving disputes does not allow for effective remedy.
08:36So, ladies and gentlemen, dear guests, I am confident that the Philippines will continue their reform journey.
08:46Core principles as transparency, inclusivity, secrecy of the vote and freedom of expression
08:54are central to the success of these reforms.
08:58The European Union stands ready to support national authorities in implementing these recommendations
09:04to further strengthen the country's democratic path.
09:09All the mission's reports and statements, including this final report, are public, available to all the Filipino people.
09:18We encourage you to download them from our website and to read them.
09:25We offer these recommendations in a spirit of partnership.
09:29A partnership which has a long history between the European Union and the Philippines.
09:34This final report describes our observations during the midterm elections, so it reflects on the past.
09:45However, the recommendations we present are forward-looking, aimed at improving future electoral processes.
09:52Ultimately, it's up to you, the Filipino citizens, your elected lawmakers, the electoral administration and civil society, to determine which recommendations,
10:07which reforms will best serve the country.
10:10Naturally, we hope all of them will be implemented.
10:16But the final decision rests with the sovereign will of the country and its people.
