Election violence, vote-buying recorded ahead of May 12 polls - observers

With just two days left before the midterm polls, the International Observer Mission (IOM) has sounded the alarm about cases of vote-buying, red-tagging, and election-related violence across the country.

“We’re gravely concerned about the reported number of red-tagging, vote-buying, and especially killings,” said IOM Commissioner Colleen Moore, Director of Peace with Justice at the General Board of Church and Society, a United Methodist Church agency based in Washington, D.C.

In a press statement, the IOM, organized by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP), said they have been monitoring the country’s electoral environment since the campaign period began in February.

This is the coalition’s second mission in the Philippines.

Commissioners and volunteers have been deployed in key areas nationwide to observe and document incidents threatening the integrity and safety of the electoral process.

According to the IOM, it has independently confirmed 18 vote-buying incidents in addition to the 158 complaints already received by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Observers reported that vote-buying, often in the form of cash or goods, ranged from P150 to as much as P5,000 per voter and was prevalent in rural, high-poverty areas controlled by political dynasties.

The IOM and Vote Report PH have also recorded 577 cases of red-tagging, targeting candidates, campaign staff, local organizers, and even Comelec personnel.

Red-tagging materials—flyers, posters, and leaflets falsely linking individuals to armed insurgents—have been distributed and posted near campaign venues, the IOM said.

“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,” said Moore.

“It’s an attack on the very idea of free and fair elections.”

The mission has also tracked 48 incidents of threats, harassment, and intimidation in areas such as Northern and Southern Luzon and Northern Mindanao. Official data from Philippine authorities included 62 incidents of election-related violence from January 12 to April 28, with 35 confirmed as politically motivated.

Among the most recent incidents are the following:

March 26: Municipal election officer Bai Maceda Lidasan-Abo and her husband were ambushed and killed in Maguindanao del Norte.

April 10: Mayoral candidate Kerwin Espinosa was shot during a campaign sortie in Albuera, Leyte. He has accused the police of involvement.

April 23: Rizal, Cagayan Mayor Joel Ruma was shot dead during a campaign rally.

April 29: Journalist and former Kalibo Mayor Johnny Dayang was gunned down in his home, sparking concerns over attacks on independent media.

Still, the Comelec has expressed confidence that the May 12 elections will be peaceful and orderly.

"Napakataas ng ating paniniwala sa mga kababayan nating botante na sila ay boboto at magiging tahimik ang ating eleksyon," Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in an interview on Dobol B TV on Saturday.

(We highly believe our countrymen who are voters will vote, and the elections will be peaceful.)

"[Inaasahan na] Mabilis tayong makakatapos dito (botohan) dahil medyo na-set up na natin ang mabilis na sistema at proseso para masigurado na [magiging] mabilis din ang pagproklama natin," he said.

(We expect that the voting will finish early because we were able to set up the system to make the process fast to ensure that the proclamation [of winning candidates] will also be fast.) — VBL, GMA Integrated News

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