The 2025 Philippine midterm elections “did not meet international standards for free and fair elections,” an international observer mission concluded, citing widespread voter disenfranchisement, vote-buying, red-tagging, and foreign interference as key violations.
In its final report released today, the International Observer Mission (IOM) documented “grave and widespread violations” that undermined the integrity of the May 12 vote.
“The rights of Filipinos to vote freely and without coercion were compromised,” said IOM Commissioner Lee Rhiannon. “The climate of fear, normalized vote-buying and militarization… reflects a failure to uphold international democratic standards.”
The IOM deployed more than 50 field observers across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. They partnered with local groups like Kontra Daya and Vote Report PH, while remote teams tracked digital disinformation and overseas absentee voting (OAV).
Organized by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, the mission has monitored Philippine elections since 2022.
“The red-tagging of progressive candidates, vote-buying, disenfranchisement, and militarization… reflect a deeply compromised system,” said IOM Commissioner Andrea Man.
The report cited 545 electoral violations, including harassment, killings, and disappearances.
Voter disenfranchisement was widespread, the group said. It also claimed that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has failed to explain why automated counting machines used uncertified software.
ICHRP Global Council Chair Peter Murphy denounced “scandalous” vote-buying. He cited a party-list that allegedly offered PHP 16,000 per vote. “Mass poverty and entrenched inequality… distorted electoral outcomes,” Murphy said.
The report also linked foreign military exercises to democratic erosion. IOM Commissioner Colleen Moore criticized the U.S.-led Balikatan war games for overlapping with elections, calling it “an outright violation of national sovereignty.”
The IOM called for sweeping reforms, including a hybrid voting system, passage of an Anti-Dynasty Bill, and the criminalization of red-tagging. “Free and fair elections cannot occur in an environment where voters are manipulated by fear,” Moore said.
