PH Election Day Marred By Disenfranchisement, Violence, Technical Failures, Says Rights-Led Observer Mission

May 13, 2025

As polls closed in the Philippines, the International Observer Mission (IOM), a delegation of human rights advocates from across the globe, released initial findings that raise urgent red flags over the credibility of the 2025 midterm elections.

The mission flagged severe voter disenfranchisement due to malfunctioning automated counting machines (ACMs), reports of ballots being wrongly read as overvotes, effectively nullifying valid votes, and a troubling, unexplained software update on the machines.

“These aren’t just technical glitches, we are seeing failures that are disenfranchising thousands of Filipinos at a critical democratic moment,” said Commissioner Lee Rhiannon, a former Australian Senator. “Our rights-based methodology has revealed violations of civil and political rights, including the right to vote, occurring on and around election day. Our mission is to document and to amplify what the Filipino people are already bravely calling out.”

IOM on-ground teams have observed trends of disenfranchisement alongside local partner Vote Report PH and Kontra Daya, flagging multiple verified issues on election day. The teams have documented irregularities in the polling centers by interviewing respondents who voted in respective areas.

In Cordillera and Northern Mindanao, ground teams monitored instances of vote-buying before and during polling hours. Similar issues were reported in the Bicol region, where, in addition to vote-buying, there were reports of pre-shaded ballots that affected voters. At one polling center in Southern Tagalog, more than 900 people lined up for only one ACM. This led to voters waiting in line for several hours, with reports of individuals giving up their right to vote.

Due to the absence of ACMs, priority voters in Negros were asked to hand their ballots to polling officers. Instead of voters personally casting and verifying their vote, these ballots were placed inside a cardboard box. This case was documented by foreign observers, where respondents expressed concerns about whether their votes were counted and if any tampering occurred. In some precincts in Zamboanga, voters complained of not seeing the name of the partylist they voted for in the receipts.

A disturbing pattern: electoral violence

Beyond the failures in the voting technology, the IOM has noted an intensification of election-related violence and rights violations. Initial reports documented election-day riots, armed attacks, and multiple fatalities in the weeks leading up to May 12.

As of May 12, Vote Report PH, a watchdog and partner of the 2025 IOM, recorded 1,445 incidents of red-tagging, making it the most frequently reported violation in their monitoring. Observers documented widespread cases throughout the campaign period in regions such as Cordillera, Southern Tagalog, Southern Luzon, Negros, and across Mindanao. The attacks intensified on election day, with red-tagging flyers and posters targeting progressive candidates and partylists still being circulated.

“We’ve observed a disturbing pattern: escalating violence, red-tagging of candidates and supporters, and coordinated disinformation against progressive voices,” said IOM Commissioner Colleen Moore, Director of Peace with Justice at the General Board of Church and Society. “These are not isolated incidents. They form a chilling atmosphere that compromises the safety and freedom of voters.”

On election day, several incidents of violence occurred across the country.

Despite a nationwide gun ban, killings and shootings were reported in the provinces of Abra, Negros Occidental, Davao del Norte, Davao Occidental and Zamboanga del Sur. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was hit the most, with all of its provinces experiencing varying levels of violence.

It ranged from fist fights and riots between supporters of rival candidates to gunfights and shootings resulting in killings. Among the worst of these occurred in Basilan, where three people, including a poll watcher, were killed and two others wounded in a predawn boat clash near Hadji Muhtamad town, hours before the polls opened.

Machine malfunctions, anomalous software update

All international observers deployed across the country monitored widespread cases of malfunctioning ACMs, causing delays in voting. News outlets have also reported on machine glitches across the Philippines. The sheer magnitude and scope of the incidents likely point to thousands of voters affected nationwide.

The Mission also indicated that it will recommend an investigation of the unexplained ACMs running version 3.5.0 software, rather than the publicly certified version 3.4.0. “We are collaborating with our partners in the Philippines to look into this irregularity,” Moore added.

Final report in two weeks

“While these findings remain initial, our mission expresses deep concern over the conditions under which the 2025 midterm elections were held,” says Rhiannon.

“The convergence of political violence, widespread disenfranchisement, harassment, and unexplained technical irregularities point to systemic vulnerabilities that risk undermining public trust in the electoral process.”

According to the Commissioners, the IOM will continue to verify and analyze trends from the data and case studies they have collected. A final report detailing its observations and offering recommendations grounded in its human rights approach will be released within two weeks.

Note:

ICHRP is conducting an International Observer Mission in 2025 to monitor for election-related and human rights violations. Learn more at https://www.ichrp.net/IOM2025

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