IOM Doubles Down On Electoral Disenfranchisement In Response To Comelec’s Garcia

30 May 2025

Commissioner Garcia rejected the International Observer Mission (IOM) finding of massive disenfranchisement in the midterm elections because there was an 82.2 per cent turnout of registered voters. But the hundreds of failed Automated Counting Machines, the climate of fear through red tagging and actual violence, the fact that May 12 was an unpaid holiday, and the significant hurdles faced by overseas Filipinos meant that hundreds of thousands did not get to vote,” said IOM Commissioner Lee Rhiannon.

The Mission Observers reported significant disenfranchisement due to technical and procedural failures. Overseas Filipino voter turnout reached an all-time low of 18.12 percent due to inaccessible voting systems. Domestically, long lines and malfunctioning vote-counting machines hindered voters, while elections were disrupted in places like Datu Odin Sinsuat, affecting over 80,000 people and limiting their right to vote.

“The IOM documented 112 verified cases of red-tagging, and our local partner Vote Report PH received 1,445 citizen reports of red-tagging across the country. These are not isolated incidents; they represent a pattern of fear and repression that deters participation,” said Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, which sponsored the IOM.

IOM Commissioner Rhiannon said, “Our observers saw that the communities they visited displayed an extraordinary resolve to make their voices heard and ballots cast, despite the many obstacles. We really admire this. Filipinos worked with a flawed process, because the stakes are so high in the deep social and political crisis they are coping with.”

On Permission from Comelec

The IOM noted that Commissioner Garcia said that our observers were not required to register with the Comelec. “He is, in fact, right. As a people-led observer mission, we believe that our strength and impartiality come from our independence,” said Murphy.

“We are also very concerned that the European Union EOM, which did register with Comelec and was invited to observe by the government, was excluded from visiting voting precincts on May 12. That did no credit to Comelec.”

Rather, the IOM echoed the calls of Filipinos that the Comelec should focus its attention where it is most needed: on the issues raised by voters, civil society, and the broader public. These include persistent reports of vote-buying, dynastic dominance, red-tagging, and disenfranchisement in the electoral process.

“Elections that are genuinely free and fair have nothing to fear from the presence of impartial international observers. We remain committed to accompanying the Filipino people in their pursuit of democratic governance and upholding the principles of accountability and transparency,” Rhiannon ends.

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