Vote-buying, violence ‘evident’ during campaign period – international observers

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The International Observer Mission says their field teams have witnessed several vote buying incidents, and documented 577 cases of red-tagging, on top of 48 incidents of threats, harassment, and intimidation

MANILA, Philippines – Vote-buying and election-related violence are becoming more prevalent as the 2025 campaign season comes to a close, international poll observers said two days before the national and local elections.

The International Observer Mission (IOM) on the 2025 Philippine Elections said their field teams have witnessed several vote buying incidents, and documented 577 cases of red-tagging, on top of 48 incidents of threats, harassment, and intimidation.

“Our mission is ongoing, but what we have observed so far is deeply concerning,” IOM commissioner Colleen Moore said in a statement on Saturday, May 10. Moore assured that the team is committed to “[ensuring] that the true situation is documented and that accountability is pursued.”

This is the second time that rights group International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) is holding its IOM in the country.

Stories of vote buying have been rampant in recent weeks — with incidents reported in Laoag, Batangas City, and Laguna.

Some candidates have shifted their tactics to distributing money online, prompting the country’s biggest e-wallet to impose transaction limits until people cast their votes on Monday, May 12, in an attempt to curb vote buying via digital transactions. Although the IOM pointed out that in incidents observed, most distribute cash or goods.

The team said voters would receive P150 up to P5,000 each, with most incidents involving political dynasties.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) itself has been going after candidates with allegations of vote buying — from the powerful Teodoros of Marikina to Las PIñas congresswoman and Senate aspirant Camille Villar. The poll body has received 158 complaints, but the IOM has recorded 18 more incidents in “election hotspots.”

Meanwhile, red-tagging of progressive candidates, party-list groups, and Comelec and its poll workers was rampant during the campaign period leading up to the midterm elections.

As early as February, the Makabayan coalition said their candidates were targeted ahead of a sortie in Mindanao.

Red-tagging came as information materials such as flyers, leaflets, and posters, where individuals and/or groups are linked to the armed insurgency. The IOM noted that these are distributed to communities or displayed near campaign venues, as in the case of Makabayan’s experience.

“This level of systematic red-tagging is not only a violation of human rights, it’s a coordinated effort to intimidate and discredit democratic actors,” Moore said.

The IOM also pointed out that political violence “escalated dramatically” in recent weeks. Over half or 35 of the 62 recorded incidents of election-related violence by local authorities were politically-motivated.

Its observers said increased intimidation — some, to the point of killing — were seen in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Calabarzon.

“We will keep watching, documenting, and doing our work in support of the Filipinos in this election,” the IOM said. – Kaycee Valmonte/Rappler.com