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MANILA, Philippines — Foreign observers are not allowed to enter polling precincts on election day, according to the Commission on Elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia yesterday said the poll body rejected the request of foreign observers from the European Union to enter polling precincts for this constitutes a violation of Philippine law.
“We have to insist on the observance of the law. We didn’t give a full blanket authority,” Garcia said, adding that even if the Comelec issues a resolution, it would still be considered null and void.
Garcia stressed that the authority granted by the Comelec for EU to observe the election is still subject to limitation provided by law.
The poll body, he said, is willing to accept the possible consequences of disallowing the observers from entering polling precincts because they have to implement the law.
For the first time, the EU sent around 300 delegates to observe the country’s upcoming elections. They will stay in the country until June.
The EU Election Observation Mission previously sent to the Comelec a letter requesting the poll body to instruct the electoral board to permit their observers to enter polling precinct on election day. The observers insisted that having access to polling precincts on election day is a crucial part of their work.
Garcia said he raised the matter to the members of the commission, which decided to uphold the existing laws of the country.
“This means that only members of the Electoral Board, accredited watchers from the citizens’ arms and political parties, the Commission’s representatives and voters are allowed inside the precincts,” Garcia said.
Garcia clarified that observers of EU or any other duly accredited election observer mission can still visit the voting centers and witness the voting procedures through windows outside the classroom serving as polling precincts.
“While the Commission understands and appreciates the EU EOMs enthusiasm and commitment to perform its election observation work, the Commission is constitutionality mandated to administer all laws and regulation relative to the conduct of the election,” Garcia explained in his letter to the EOM.
Failure to comply with the Constitution, he said, is an impeachable offense.
PNP intensifies intel monitoring
With three days to go before the midterm elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified its intelligence monitoring to thwart possible attempts to sabotage the electoral process.
“We are maintaining our active security stance and of course our intelligence monitoring and we are always coordinating with other law enforcement agencies,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said yesterday over dwPM.
The PNP is utilizing 163,621 officers and personnel on election day, representing 69 percent of the 235,000-strong police force. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fire Protection will contribute 37,817 personnel as augmentation forces.
Fajardo said they have documented 40 validated election-related incidents since January, with 15 cases under investigation and 21 incidents are not related to the elections.
The PNP spokesperson said there are 35 areas of concern under the red category, 136 areas under the orange category and 197 under the yellow category. Areas in Metro Manila are under the green category or those with no security concerns, Fajardo added.
The municipalities of Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur were placed under the control of the Comelec.
The Anti-Cybercrime Group has beefed up its online investigation on social media accounts spreading misinformation and disinformation about the upcoming elections, ACG director Brig. Gen. Bernard Yang said.
Namfrel quick count app
The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections yesterday launched an online application that would enable citizens to participate in verifying the election results at the polling precincts with the Comelec’s transmitted results.
In a statement, NAMFREL encouraged the public to participate in Operation QRT Count 2025 (OWQC 2025), a vetting process by downloading the NAMFREL 2025 app, a mobile app that can be downloaded from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
“In the NAMFREL OQC 2025, any person with a smart device and internet connection can contribute to verifying the transmitted results of the elections at the different polling places by scanning the QR codes of the Election Returns (ERs) posted outside the doors of polling places during the counting period,” NAMFREL national chairperson Lito Averia said.
The data sent using the NAMFREL 2025 app would then be compared with the election results that would be transmitted by the Comelec.
Nationwide manual count urged
Poll watchdog Kontra Daya has proposed the nationwide use of manual counting of results at the precinct level to check if the numbers are consistent with results from automated counting machines (ACMs).
“What we hope to have is a nationwide implementation of the manual counting so that at the precinct level we would have an idea as to whether the manual count would tally or be consistent with the automated results. If there is no discrepancy, there is no problem. We transmit right away,” Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said.
“I do understand that this would slow down the process, but we would rather have something slow but sure instead of something fast and uncertain,” he added.
He said that while there would be a Random Manual Audit, it would only represent a fraction of the 110,000 ACMs leased by the Comelec for the May 12 elections. There would only be 760 precincts covered by the RMA, which will be conducted to check if the poll results produced by the voting machines match the manually counted ballots.
DOH raises Code White alert
The Department of Health has raised a Code White Alert to ensure that hospitals and health facilities can immediately respond to any incident needing medical attention as the public anticipates the midterm elections.
“Code White Alert is raised effective May 9 to May 13, 2025 in relation to the 2025 Philippine National and Local Elections,” said the DOH-Central Visayas in a Circular (2025-0046).
It also directed all Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health Managers and focal personnel to conduct continuous monitoring, rapid health assessment and appropriate health emergency response activities in cases of possible eventualities during the specified dates.
A DOH Code White alert means that hospitals are expected to activate their Operations Centers, which will continue to report and coordinate with regional and central DOH OPCENs.
Meanwhile, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has assured the public that all contingency measures are in place to prevent any power outages during the midterm elections.
In line with its contingency plans, the NGCP has suspended maintenance work and construction activities inside substations and within 300 meters of energized power lines until May 16. All transmission lines were also cleared of vegetation and obstructions, except for one in South Luzon.
The country’s sole transmission operator is also set to activate 24/7 operations at its overall command center from May 11 to 14.
NGCP’s critical units handling system and maintenance operations will remain operational and fully staffed, while its line crews and other technical personnel are deployed in substations to quickly respond to line trippings.
Citing an updated power outlook, the NGCP said that power supply is sufficient to handle the projected demand on election week.
Earlier, the Department of Energy said that “all hands are on deck” to ensure unimpeded delivery of electricity and other energy services during the election. – Emmanuel Tupas, Evelyn Macairan, Rhodina Villanueva, Brix Lelis
