Church, activists decry Philippine poll irregularities
Church leaders, poll watchdogs, and civil society groups have condemned the violence, vote-buying, and alleged fraud during the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines. May 23, 2025
Activist groups march in capital Manila on May 13 to protest the violence and irregularities at the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Pastor Irma Balaba)
MANILA: Church leaders, poll watchdogs, and civil society groups have condemned the violence, vote-buying, and alleged fraud during the May 12 midterm elections in the Philippines. Archbishop Socrates Villegas called the polls 'tainted by money and blood' and urged Filipinos to remain critical, noting that while no election is perfect, much improvement is still needed. Despite the Commission on Elections (Comelec) claiming it was among the most peaceful elections to date, watchdog Kontra Daya reported widespread machine errors, illegal campaigning, and voter disenfranchisement.
Protests erupted in Manila, with groups demanding a hybrid manual-automated system to ensure transparency. Activists criticised the reliability of automated counting machines, calling for a serious audit and prosecution of election violations. Reports from Vote Report PH cited malfunctioning machines, disenfranchisement, and red-tagging as major concerns. The European Union Election Observation Mission also raised issues about limited access to polling precincts, affecting their ability to observe the voting process comprehensively. --ucanews.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Philippine and Singapore expand cooperation in prioritised areas
PM Lawrence Wong (right) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (left) reviewing an honour guard at Malacanang Palace in Manila on June 4. -- Photo: Vietnam News/Asia News Network MANILA/SINGAPORE (Vietnam News/ANN): Singapore and the Philippines are set to deepen their collaboration in several areas, including renewable energy, sustainability, healthcare and civil service development. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced this at a joint press conference on June 4, the first day of an introductory visit to Manila by PM Wong, reported by The Straits Times. On renewable energy, the two countries agreed to deepen both bilateral and regional cooperation, and to accelerate efforts towards realising the Asean power grid, a plan to connect the electricity networks of the group's 10 member countries to enable cross-border power trading by 2045. Marcos said Singapore will continue to be a major partner in the Philippines' aspiration to diversify its energy sources, while Wong said Singapore companies are interested in renewable energy in the Philippines, including solar and wind projects. The two countries are also working to finalise a legally binding implementation agreement for cross-border carbon credit transfers that is aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. An implementation agreement will facilitate commercial participation in carbon credit projects, which can spur technology transfer and green investment and create good jobs, said Wong. The two leaders also said their respective health ministries are exploring ways to deepen health cooperation, such as in upskilling and the reintegration of returning Filipinos into the Philippine healthcare system. Last year, the Philippines was Singapore's fifth-largest trading partner in Asean, with bilateral trade reaching 19.1 billion SGD (US$14.8 billion). - Vietnam News/ANN
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Mass actions pressing for Sara Duterte trial set for June 9 to June 11
MANILA: A Catholic priest who was among the first to file an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte (pic) in December last year has announced plans for mass actions against the Senate's postponements of her trial and a proposal to dismiss her case, saying delaying the process would deny justice to Filipinos. In an interview with Church-owned Radio Veritas earlier in the week, Father Flavie Villanueva called on the senators to fulfill their constitutional duty and proceed with Duterte's impeachment trial without further ado. 'Impeachment is imperative, impeachment is a moral obligation. Impeachment delayed, justice denied,' Villanueva said. On his Facebook page on Saturday, Villanueva said there would be a protest march, a vigil and another march on the Senate from June 9 to June 11, which is the last session day of Congress when a prosecutor from the House of Representatives presents the articles of impeachment to the Senate. The activities were organised by Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa, Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and Tindig Pilipinas, which are composed of groups and individuals who filed the first and third impeachment complaints against Duterte. Villanueva is the president and founder of the Paghilom Empower and Advocacy program which assists families of victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. Educators, political prisoners and human rights lawyers have also joined other groups in warning senators against blocking the impeachment trial. In a statement on Friday night, the Ateneo Human Rights Center said that the postponement of the trial and Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa's proposed resolution seeking to dismiss the impeachment case reduced the constitutional mechanisms in holding public officials accountable to a 'political circus.' Not 'a single step' was taken to comply with the Senate's constitutional duty to proceed 'forthwith,' or without delay, after the impeachment complaint was filed by the House in February, it said. 'It must be stated plainly: By deliberately delaying the impeachment proceedings, the Senate is failing in its constitutional duty,' it said. The La Sallian family in the Philippines also condemned moves to block the impeachment proceedings against Duterte. 'Any attempt to suppress this process undermines the pursuit of truth, and the very foundation of democracy, the rule of law, and the principle that no one is above the law,' they said in a statement issued through De La Salle University. Political prisoners and its support group Kapatid also pressed the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial. 'Why are political prisoners being made to rot in jail while Vice President Sara Duterte is shielded from scrutiny and accountability despite facing grave charges?' asked peace talks consultant Vicente Ladlad, speaking for the political prisoner held at Camp Bagong Diwa. 'Is (Duterte) above the law that her cohorts in the Senate are now moving to delay, derail, and ultimately dismiss her impeachment trial?' The human rights lawyers group, National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL), on Saturday also denounced the 'political influence' of the Dutertes over the senators. 'Issues of judicial independence loom over the Senate. There, the Dutertes are benefiting from a wide berth in their political influence, wrongly and unlawfully, to delay or even to kill the trial,' NUPL said. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
Singapore and Philippines to expand collaboration in renewable energy, sustainability and healthcare
MANILA: Singapore and the Philippines will deepen their collaboration in several areas, including renewable energy, sustainability, healthcare and civil service development. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr announced this at a joint press conference on Wednesday (June 4), the first day of an introductory visit to Manila by PM Wong. At the press conference at Malacanang Palace following their meeting, PM Wong thanked President Marcos for his invitation to visit and said the bilateral relationship 'has never been better'. 'It is a partnership that has been carefully nurtured over the decades by successive generations of leaders and officials,' he said. 'It is built on a high degree of mutual trust and respect, and it has enabled mutually beneficial cooperation over a wide range of areas, for example in trade and investments.' On renewable energy, the two countries agreed to deepen both bilateral and regional cooperation, and to accelerate efforts towards realising the Asean power grid. This is a plan to connect the electricity networks of the group's 10 member countries to enable cross-border power trading by 2045. Marcos said Singapore will continue to be a major partner in the Philippines' aspiration to diversify its energy sources, and hailed the robust ties between the two countries. PM Wong said Singapore companies are interested in renewable energy in the Philippines, including solar and wind projects. 'Such projects can generate economic opportunities for the Philippines, while supporting the Philippines' renewable energy targets,' he added. On the sustainability front, the two countries are working to finalise a legally binding implementation agreement for cross-border carbon credit transfers that is aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement governs international cooperation to tackle climate change, and includes guidelines for countries to trade carbon credits to meet their climate targets. An implementation agreement will facilitate commercial participation in carbon credit projects, which can spur technology transfer, green investment and create good jobs, said PM Wong. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is on an official visit to the Philippines on June 4, 2025, on invitation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, where the two countries agreed to deepen collaboration on energy, sustainability and healthcare. The two leaders also said their respective health ministries are exploring ways to deepen health cooperation, such as in upskilling and the reintegration of returning Filipinos into the Philippine healthcare system. Marcos expressed his appreciation that Singapore has ensured the welfare, safety and security of the over 200,000 Filipinos working in the city state, while PM Wong said Singapore is committed to being a good second home for them. 'They live and work in Singapore, contributing to our economy and society and enriching our cultural diversity,' said PM Wong. 'I conveyed to the President Singapore's appreciation for their invaluable contributions, especially the Filipino healthcare workers who stood with us during the Covid-19 pandemic.' Marcos noted that the two sides are working to conclude an agreement on health cooperation and a digital leadership programme between the Philippine Civil Service Commission and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Besides NUS' leadership programme, PM Wong said Temasek Foundation has also been active in the healthcare space in Taguig City – which is to the east of Manila – and the two countries will continue to step up cooperation in this field. Both countries also agreed to work 'shoulder to shoulder' at the Asean level, so as to accelerate regional integration and unlock the grouping's full potential, said PM Wong. The Philippines can count on Singapore's full support for its Asean chairmanship in 2026, he added. 'We will coordinate closely, because Singapore takes over from the Philippines the Asean chairmanship the following year,' he said. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is on an official visit to the Philippines on June 4, 2025, on invitation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, where the two countries agreed to deepen collaboration on energy, sustainability and healthcare. During their meeting, the leaders reaffirmed the excellent bilateral ties between the two countries, exchanged views on regional and global developments, and underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation towards a more resilient Asean, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. At an official dinner held in his honour, PM Wong noted that this was his first bilateral visit since Singapore's recent general election, and also his first visit to the Philippines as prime minister. Mrs Wong and Mrs Louise Araneta-Marcos were also at the dinner. He said the visit came as the two countries have become more connected than ever, having signed an upgraded Singapore-Philippines air service agreement in May 2024. The agreement, which raised the number of code-share services between the two countries by Singapore and Philippine airlines from 35 to up to 150 flights, will enable more exchanges between the two peoples, said PM Wong. 'The Singapore-Philippines partnership is built on firm and growing connections between our countries,' he said in a toast speech. 'And I look forward to working with President Marcos Jr to take it to even greater heights.' - The Straits Times/ANN
