From
May 8-11, 2025, vote buying were monitored in the municipalities of San
Fernando and Quezon in Bukidnon province, in the municipality of
Tagbina in Surigao del Sur province, in the municipalities of Compostela
and Asuncion in Davao de Oro, and in Samal Island in Davao City. Sample
ballots together with cash are distributed to voters that range between
Php20 to Php2,400. In-kind items were also given such as rice, canned
goods and noodles. In the town of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur, aside from
vote buying, intimidation and harassment were also monitored as
unidentified masked men roam around the villages of Ilihan and
Mahayahay.
In Cotabato City,
gunfires were exchanged by supporters of two political parties in the
afternoon of May 11 while in the evening of the same day, commotion
between unidentified individuals were monitored and responded by the
Philippine National Police in one of the barangays in the city. During
the PNP's response, gun shots were heard and exchanged which wounded 1
PNP personnel and 2 civilians.
Early
Voting Program (EVP) that intends to serve the vulnerable voters such
as the elderly, pregnant women and persons with disabilities is followed
in some areas. However, some monitored polling centers in Cotabato City
and Maguindanao provinces have opened few minutes before 6:00 in the
morning thus affected the EVP. Late opening in one voting for EVP
triggered an attempted shoot out by a husband whose pregnant wife was
caught in chaos.
In Datu Odin
Sinsuat town in Maguindanao del Norte province, the election started
past 2:00 in the afternoon. PNP Officers have taken over as Special
Electoral Boards after supporters from the political party blockaded the
Electoral Boards by supporters of a political party.
In
Cotabato City, several individuals were held by the PNP for bringing
harmful weapons such as metal pipes and bamboo branches. Harassments and
intimidations were experienced by some voters as they were blocked to
vote by poll watchers of different political party. There are also
polling centers in Cotabato City and Maguindanao provinces where monitor
volunteers of Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV)
were blocked from entering the polling centers. In Cotabato City, there
were fraudulent PPCRV volunteers who wear identification card not signed
by the recognized Priest Coordinator. Riots between supporters of major
political camps also happened outside of some polling areas and even on
the streets using "batota" and throwing empty bottles against each
other.
Monitored areas also
experience voter disenfranchisement where voters were not able to vote
because their names are not on the voters' list while in monitored area
in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, some voters complained that
their names were already voted by someone else. The election process is
also disrupted in majority of the monitored areas due to the
malfunctioning of the automated counting machines (ACMs). In one of the
barangays in Iligan City, the election process was disrupted after a
poll watcher intentionally poured water to the ACM. In several of our
monitored polling areas in Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao
where PPCRV assistance desks are established, volunteers have assisted
voters whose names were not in the master lists but were counter-checked
as bonifide voters in our held soft-copy official list.
#election2025
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