Vote Buying, Political Dynasty Issues Pervade ‘Effective’ 2025 Polls

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

MANILA — While the country’s election authorities effectively administered the 2025 midterms through several key reforms, an international observation mission said on Friday, May 16, that weak laws and poor enforcement continue to undermine the electoral environment.

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) released its interim report recognizing the Commission on Elections’ (COMELEC) efforts to address issues from past election cycles and improve overall electoral processes.

However, the report highlighted that legal limitations on the COMELEC, especially before the official campaign period, hinder its ability to crack down on vote buying and misuse of state resources.

Observers also noted the ongoing dominance of personalities over platforms, the absence of policy-driven discourse, and the entrenched power of political dynasties and weak political parties.

Despite these concerns, the report emphasized notable improvements, including the rollout of accessible polling places and early voting hours for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, and pregnant women.

Head of Mission Rohana Hettiarachchie, who has observed Philippine elections since 2010, said there were significant improvements in COMELEC’s transparency, particularly in automated counting machines (ACMs), accessibility, and special committees for key issues.

“I think it’s built confidence and trust among the [poll] workers and the public,” Hettiarachchie said during a press briefing.

“There are other [inclusive] measures taken by the [COMELEC] that also need to be highlighted in these elections.”

He said early voting hours for vulnerable sectors contributed to high voter turnout.

The COMELEC reported via social media that the 2025 elections saw an 82.20 percent voter turnout, the highest among midterms.

“Extra voting hours [have] given spaces for elderly citizens, PWDs, and pregnant women,” Hettiarachchie added.

“I think at the end of the day, it affects the large voter turnout.”

He emphasized that more must be done to level the playing field between candidates, particularly regarding vote buying and the use of government resources.

“Vote buying is a public secret now,” he said.

“Everybody knows it’s happening across the country, not only in these elections, but also previous ones.”

“It’s a well-known factor that has to be addressed, because otherwise, it gives undue advantage to candidates with financial power.”

Hettiarachchie also observed that government resources were being used to benefit some candidates.

“That is the COMELEC’s duty — to address these issues,” he said.

Another issue raised was the weak enforcement of campaign finance laws.

“The law has been there for decades, but implementation is lacking,” he said.

“There is room for improvement.”

Jake Barker, an electoral analyst with the mission, said the COMELEC was more open to collaboration with external partners and political parties compared to 2022.

He said this approach aligned with their 2022 post-election report, which urged the COMELEC to be more accessible and communicative.

He also urged COMELEC to sustain its transparency efforts in the upcoming elections, particularly for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October and December.

“In general, from the stakeholders we spoke to, [the] COMELEC — especially under new leadership since 2022 — was seen as engaging civil society, the media, and political parties in a more consistent and strategic manner,” Barker said.

“This shows growth in just a few years and also reflects COMELEC’s move toward institutional inclusion.”

“Some of the new initiatives rolled out in this election should be highlighted and are positive in our view,” he added.

ANFREL deployed 21 observers across 11 regions from April 27 to May 12 to monitor the campaign period, election day, and the post-election environment.

Areas covered included Baguio City in the Cordillera Administrative Region; Batac in Ilocos Norte and Vigan in Ilocos Sur in Region I; Tuguegarao City in Region II; Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas in Region IV-A; Sorsogon, Legazpi City, and Naga City in Region V; Iloilo, Roxas, and Bacolod in Region VI; Cebu and Bohol in Region VII; Tacloban City in Region VIII; Davao City in Region XI; General Santos City and Sarangani in Region XII; Cotabato City and Maguindanao del Norte in BARMM; and Caloocan, Makati, Manila, Marikina, and Pasig in the National Capital Region.

ANFREL Executive Director Brizza Rosales said the mission’s deployment covered both urban and rural areas selected for their electoral competitiveness and relevance to key issues, including electoral quality, inclusion, and voting technology.