Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Members of the press turn up to cast their votes at the Comelec Local Absentee voting site at the Comelec Office in San Juan City on April 28, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Election observers from the European Union on Wednesday formally turned over their findings to the Commission on Elections, which centered on suggestions to cut long queues in voting and the improvement of ballot secrecy. Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the findings also noted that election-related violence and other incidents during the midterm polls dropped, just as it noted the commission’s efforts in fighting fake news and resolving election complaints.“Mayroon ding mga batikos — inaasahan din ng Comelec yan. Nakukulangan sila sa mga efforts sa ballot secrecy dahil sabi nila sa liit ng ating mga paaralan, hindi imposible na magkakitaan habang bumoboto,” Laudiangco told reporters. (There were also some criticisms — Comelec expected that. They found efforts at ballot secreacy lacking. They said that the classrooms are so small it is possible that voters will see each others&#x27; ballots)The observers also pointed out that voting queues were too long and suggested updating laws against vote-buying, Comelec said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/23/eu-deploys-nearly-200-observers-for-halalan2025-1209">EU deploys nearly 200 observers for #Halalan2025</a></div><div>&#x27;OUTDATED&#x27; ELECTION LAW</div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/23/eu-deploys-nearly-200-observers-for-halalan2025-1209"></a>Laudiangco, reflecting on the findings, said the country’s election laws are already “outdated” in terms of combating vote-buying, for instance.He said the Omnibus Election Code was enacted in 1985, making it even older than the 1987 Constitution.He added the commission will need more funding for more automated counting machines to decongest polling centers and shorten voting queues.&quot;Sabi namin, kung mas malaki sana ang pondo eh mas mapapababa natin ng around 600 to 500 lang ang botante (kada precinct),&quot; Laudiangco said.(As we said, if we have more funds, we can lower the number of voters in a voting precinct to just 600 or 500) <div>NO ACCESS TO VOTING PRECINCTS</div>Among the concerns of the EU election observers was denial of access to voting precincts.Laudiangco said Comelec Chair George Garcia had explained to observers that the Omnibus Election Law limits the number of people allowed in polling places.The poll body  said it would study and take into consideration all the recommendations of the EU observers, and would include this in hundreds of proposals for a modern election code. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/1/comelec-to-continue-preps-for-barmm-elections-1527">Comelec to continue preps for BARMM elections</a></div>EU’s election observers also vowed to provide a copy to the country’s lawmakers to help Comelec in the “upgrade” of Philippine election laws. Almost 300 EU observers were deployed in different parts of the country during the midterm elections in May. It was considered the biggest delegation from the Election Observation Mission since it began.

Election observers from the European Union on Wednesday formally turned over their findings to the Commission on Elections, which centered on suggestions to cut long queues in voting and the improvement of ballot secrecy.

Election observers from the European Union on Wednesday formally turned over their findings to the Commission on Elections, which centered on suggestions to cut long queues in voting and the improvement of ballot secrecy.

In report, EU observers raise concerns on ballot secrecy, long lines during Halalan 2025

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In report, EU observers raise concerns on ballot secrecy, long lines during Halalan 2025

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 02, 2025 05:44 PM PHT

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Commission on Elections

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October 2025

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