Violent incidents, including at least 30 killings of candidates and election officials, marred the recently concluded midterm polls in the Philippines. This was reported by the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) at a press conference in Manila last May 14, 2025.
Speaking for the EU-EOM, Marta Temido said the European Union deployed a team of election observers with the mandate to observe all aspects of the electoral process following a formal invitation from the Philippine government.
Temido, EU-EOM’s Chief Observer, noted that violence was more prevalent in local elections and that it resulted in widespread intimidation in several provinces. Similar to the findings of the EU EOM were the observations of the International Observer Mission (IOM), a global delegation of human rights advocates which also released its initial report last May 2025.
The IOM also highlighted numerous instances of so-called “red-tagging” – a practice in which progressive or left-leaning candidates are accused of having ties to communist armed rebel groups. The EU’s observer mission also reported widespread “red-tagging,” citing cases in Cebu and Davao cities, the provinces of Benguet, La Union, and Pangasinan, as well as in the National Capital Region.
Violence during an election is unacceptable, especially when it leads to the loss of many lives, said Vladimir Prebilič, Head of the Delegation of the European Parliament that joined the EU EOM. He pointed out that such tragic events should have no place in a democratic electoral process.
The EU observers also saw multiple signs of vote-buying and received reports of voters being offered cash and goods in exchange for their votes, as well as partisan distribution of welfare payouts (ayuda), said Temido.
Deputy Chief Observer Manuel Sanchez de Nogues said that vote buying is entrenched and endemic in the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Bohol, Davao Oriental, La Union, Palawan, Quezon, Siquijor, Zamboanga City, and Zamboanga del Sur. He said his team had gathered witness accounts and other evidence about the practice.
Temido also reported at the press conference that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied EU observers access to polling precincts despite a previously signed agreement guaranteeing such access. This seriously limited their ability to observe the voting process, she said. As a result, the EU EOM was unable to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the voting process at all polling stations during voting hours and had to reduce the scope of its planned observer deployment, she said.
Comelec Chair George Garcia cited constitutional provisions to justify barring foreign observers from precincts, stressing that the law takes precedence over any administrative agreements or resolutions.
The EU observers also noted that pluralistic competition and voter choice were limited as about 20 percent of district level elections featured unopposed candidates who were already in office.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Philippines, Enrique Manalo, recently announced that the Philippines and the European Union are committed to advancing talks on a free trade agreement (FTA).
In a joint press conference with visiting EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas in Makati City last June 2, 2025, Manalo said both parties are eager to deepen economic ties and utilize the FTA to further boost trade and investment. The EU is aiming for an early conclusion to the talks amid growing global trade uncertainties.
EU representative Kallas and Manalo also announced the creation of a Security and Defense Dialogue. The commitment to support democratic values and uphold human rights standards was highlighted, yet there was no further elaboration of the need for the Philippines to make significant progress in improving the situation of impunity and political persecution of human rights defenders.
The AMP has outlined in a briefing note from February 2025 the relevance of the human rights situation in the Philippines in the context of the ongoing EU-Philippines FTA negotiations.