EU poll observers disappointed over denial of precinct access

Marta Temido, chief observer of the European Union election observation mission, speaks in a press conference on April 25, 2025. — Photo from EU-EOM.

MANILA, Philippines — Poll observers from the European Union (EU) expressed their disappointment on Wednesday with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for denying them access to polling precincts on Election Day, a crucial component of their methodology for evaluating the country’s electoral process.

EU election observation mission (EOM) Chief Observer Marta Temido made the pronouncement during the presentation of the mission’s initial findings on the recently held 2025 midterm elections.

READ: Comelec: EU watchers not allowed in polling precincts

According to Temido, the EOM was unable to fully assess the elections in the country, as they were suddenly barred from entering polling precincts to observe on Election Day itself.

Ternido said they only learned about the change a few days before the elections.

“The commitment previously signed by the European Union, the Philippine authorities, and the Comelec (Commission on Elections) was not respected. This unexpected development prevented our observers from conducting meaningful observation of voting procedures on election day,” Temido said in a press conference.

Due to this, Temido explained that the EOM was unable to deploy its full team of observers during the election, all of whom were specially trained for this specific election.

“A limited number of EU observers were able to observe voting in some precincts, but the mission is not in a position to assess the voting process in line with its methodology,” she added.

It was only after the closure of the voting booths that the EOM was finally able to deploy its observers in 92 polling precincts across the country.

“If Comelec had told the European Union that access to voting receipts was not granted to international observers, you can be sure that we would not be here today. We would not have deployed the mission at all,” said Temido.

“The decision to not allow us into precincts was communicated to us just four days before elections. We were very surprised, shocked,” she added.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Prebilič, who leads the delegation of seven Members of the European Parliament, emphasized that it was the Philippine government that invited the EOM, fully aware of the agreement’s terms, including the mission’s right to observe all phases of the electoral process.

“Let’s be very clear, we were invited to visit the Philippines and to execute the election observation…it was also quite clear when the [agreement] was signed that we are allowed to visit the precincts,” said Prebilič.

“What is the methodology that is going to be used? So there is not really much room for maneuvering here,” he added.

Prebilič also questioned Comelec’s explanation that current Philippine laws do not allow international observers to enter polling precincts.

“They knew that already before. So it’s really not understandable to me why these things happen,” Prebilič said. /das/abc