Zero In: Killings Heighten In Northern And Southern Philippines Amidst 2025 Midterm Elections

The Philippines has long been a hotspot for electoral violence, particularly in rural areas. This remains true in the 2025 midterm elections, with a heightened number of cases of election-related killings in the northern province of Abra and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in southern Philippines.

The Philippine National Police Public Information Office reported a troubling total of 62 incidents from January 12 to April 28, 2025. Of these, a staggering 35 were confirmed as election-related, highlighting significant concerns about the safety and integrity of the electoral process during this critical period. Of the 35 incidents, 11 occurred in the Cordillera region, eight in BARMM, five in the southern Luzon region of Calabarzon, three in the Zamboanga Peninsula, two incidents each in Western Visayas and Davao, and one case each in the regions of Ilocos, Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Soccsksargen in Mindanao.

Targeted killings may occur because of revenge or to eliminate an opponent, as well as economic motives, which are made worse by the connection between politics and illegal businesses. Political dynasties are also a factor, causing conflict between political families or even within families. However, the public may not know the full scale of the killings at election time, as killings of high-profile politicians and election officers often receive more widespread attention, while killings of local and grassroots political figures are often underreported.

However, the killings are not limited solely to those who are running for a seat in government. At the press conference launching for the 2025 International Observer Mission (IOM), local electoral watchdog Kontra Daya convenor Prof. Danilo Arao reported that, “Activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens are being harassed, attacked, and in many cases, killed, often by state forces such as the military and police.”

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