For Immediate Release
Quezon City
13 May 2025

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) congratulates the Filipino people for their unwavering determination and mass participation to uphold democracy through the conduct of the 2025 National and Local elections despite operational challenges and a climate of political uncertainty. 

ANFREL also acknowledges the valuable contributions of domestic election observer groups, including PPCRV, LENTE, and NAMFREL, as well as media, poll workers, and other civil society organizations, in promoting an inclusive and transparent electoral process. Furthermore, ANFREL commends the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for its efforts to improve transparency and ensure a more consultative and participatory administration of the entire electoral process.

More than a routine process, these elections were a demonstration of the people’s continued insistence on accountable governance. As the Philippines prepares for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections in October and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in December, the lessons and momentum from this election must be carried forward to strengthen democratic institutions and safeguard electoral integrity.

On Election Day, 21 ANFREL observers were deployed to monitor the polls across 270 polling precincts in 11 regions of the Philippines. This included 75 polling precincts in the National Capital Region (NCR), with the remainder spread across various provinces nationwide. ANFREL observers closely followed the entire electoral process, including the opening of polling stations during the early voting hours to better accommodate senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant voters, as well as voting procedures throughout the day, and the closing and vote transmission process. Likewise, All ANFREL observers for the Philippine elections were accredited by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and adhered to the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation¹, the Declaration of Global Principles for Nonpartisan Election Observation², the Model Commitments for Advancing Genuine and Credible Elections (2024)³, and ANFREL Code of Conduct. This adherence guaranteed high standards of impartiality, objectivity, and transparency throughout the mission.

The 2025 midterm elections showcased important innovations and reforms by COMELEC, particularly in expanding access and promoting inclusivity which reflect commitments to universal suffrage, inclusive and informed participation and administrative inclusiveness.⁴ The Priority Polling Places (PPP), Accessible Polling Places (APP), Satellite PPPs, and voting centers and polling precincts for Indigenous Peoples and Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) were made available while early voting hours from 5:00 to 7:00 AM were implemented to accommodate vulnerable voters.

In most of the observed areas, polling precincts opened on time, with Electoral Boards (EBs) carrying out essential opening procedures including breaking machine seals and inspecting storage compartments in the presence of watchers and voters. EB members were generally observed adhering to voting protocols and providing effective assistance to voters.

Meanwhile, voting centers located in malls were generally well-organized, featuring comfortable waiting areas, clear directional signage, and improved accessibility for vulnerable voters. The use of privacy screens in voting booths helped enhance ballot secrecy, even in areas with limited space. Domestic observers, citizen’s arms, and poll watchers were permitted to observe from designated areas within the polling precincts. International observers were likewise granted access to the premises of voting centers and were allowed to enter polling precincts to observe the closing procedures and witness the printing and transmission of election returns.⁵

Despite the overall smooth administration of the Election Day, ANFREL observers identified a number of challenges that warrant attention to strengthen electoral integrity and public trust:

• Crowd Management and PPP Implementation. In several areas, including large voting centers in Metro Manila and Cotabato City, PPPs experienced long queues and disorganization. Vulnerable voters arrived early but found limited support or unclear instructions. In some instances, confusion arose about assistor eligibility, and vulnerable voters were redirected to regular polling places. This highlights the need to improve voter information dissemination and polling station logistics.⁶ At the same time, based on interviews conducted during our observation, some voters expressed confusion, believing that the PPP was their only available option. This highlights the need for clearer voter information and guidance on accessible voting arrangements. 
• Voting Environment and Secrecy of the Ballot. The physical layout of many school-based polling centers raised concerns about ballot secrecy, with voters often positioned too closely together and verification screens visible to Electoral Board (EB) members and poll watchers. In some instances, EB staff fed the ballots into the machines on behalf of voters, limiting the opportunity for voters to verify their selections. While these practices were not uniformly problematic, they underscore the need for stricter adherence to standards that protect the secrecy and integrity of the vote.⁷ At the same time, ANFREL commends instances where EB members maintained respectful distance and supported voters without compromising ballot secrecy, good practices that should be institutionalized.
• Automated Counting Machine (ACM) Technical Issues. Despite the generally smooth conduct of the election in a majority of voting centers, the most common problem involved sensitive scanners and some rejected ballots. In these instances, the EB had to temporarily pause operations to clean the scanner, resulting in delays and long queues. Other technical problems included ink smudges affecting scanner performance, malfunctioning paper cutters, and paper jams.

While most issues were promptly addressed by on-site technicians, the disruptions contributed to voter frustration and increased pressure on EB members. Observers also noted the inconsistent implementation of the ballot verification timing protocol; the prescribed 15-second display for the front side of the ballot and 5 seconds for the back was not uniformly followed. Additionally, in most voting centers observed, Electoral Board Members during the closing procedures were not able to perform the ballot verification review –- to use the QR code scanning feature on the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), an added transparency measure introduced with the new ACMs. As a result, this verification layer remained largely underutilized.

• Delay in the Opening of Polls. A small number of polling stations, particularly in provincial areas like Cotabato City, experienced significant delays in opening due to late dispatch of election materials. One precinct opened at 7:20 AM, nearly 90 minutes behind schedule, which frustrated early-arriving voters.
• Limited Announcements and Polling Precinct Management. In many cases, Electoral Board (EB) staff did not audibly announce procedures, and there was no clear indication of the transition between early voting and regular voting periods. This contributed to voter confusion and inconsistent implementation of early voting policies. The absence of clear communication and adequate signage also hindered voter flow and crowd control, particularly in large voting centers where ineffective precinct management resulted in long queues, extended waiting times, and growing frustration among voters, placing additional pressure on EB staff. In several locations, ANFREL also observed election offenses, including instances of unlawful electioneering, unauthorized entry into polling areas, and the presence of illegal assistors, some of whom were domestic observers and poll watchers, who were seen providing assistance to voters during the voting process.

Preliminary observations indicated that the transmission of election results generally proceeded in a transparent manner, though experiencing notable delays in some of the servers. ANFREL emphasizes the need for continued monitoring and transparency in both the transmission and canvassing processes to uphold public confidence in the electoral outcome. As results continue to come in, ANFREL will maintain its observation of the canvassing and the conduct of the Random Manual Audit (RMA), which serves as a vital transparency safeguard. In this regard, ANFREL supports calls for a thorough review of overvoting incidents to determine whether issues related to ballot design, and/or shading threshold may have contributed to these occurrences.

As the country prepares for the Bangsamoro and BSKE elections later this year, we urge COMELEC to build upon the lessons from this election and further align its processes with international commitments to electoral integrity ensuring genuine elections, a sound legal framework, accountable administration, transparent and timely transmission and canvassing of results, and informed participation. ANFREL also encourages COMELEC to address procedural inconsistencies, improve voter information dissemination, and logistical planning on Election Day.

An Interim Report will be released at a press conference in Manila on 16 May 2025, 9:00 AM at the Diamond Hotel, Manila with a Final Report to follow in July 2025. The Interim Report will present initial findings on the legal and political context, the campaign environment, implementation of campaign finance rules, issues on abuse of state resources, media access, and Election Day procedures. It will also include early recommendations to inform upcoming electoral processes, including the Bangsamoro and BSKE elections. With this mission, ANFREL reaffirms its commitment to supporting the democratic aspirations of the Filipino people and advancing electoral transparency, inclusivity, and integrity.

About ANFREL

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), established in 1997, promotes democratic elections in Asia through election observation, capacity building, and advocacy efforts. With 27 member organizations across 18 countries, ANFREL supports civil society, media, and stakeholders in addressing electoral challenges and advancing democratization. Having conducted 80 international election observation missions, ANFREL remains committed to advancing democratic development and regional solidarity.

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DOWNLOAD THE FULL STATEMENT HERE: “2025 Philippine National and Local Elections: Improved Transparency and Resilient Participation Amid Operational Challenges“

1. https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/1923_declaration_102705_0.pdf ↩︎
2. https://gndem.org/declaration-of-global-principles/ ↩︎
3. https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/CC_Model%20Commitments%20Report_B3_final-r.pdf ↩︎
4. Commitment 2.03 and 2.15: Universal Suffrage and Participation of People with Disabilities of Model Commitments for Advancing Genuine and Credible Elections. (2024, September). International IDEA, The Carter Center, NDI, IFES, and the Kofi Annan Foundation. Available at https://www.ndi.org/publications/leading-organizations-supporting-democratic-elections-introduce-model-commitments (hereafter referred to as Model Commitments). ↩︎
5. Commitment 3.18 at Model Commitments ↩︎
6. Commitment 2.09, 3.05 at Model Commitments ↩︎
7. Commitment 1 at Model Commitments ↩︎