PNP validates 46 election-related incidents

Headquarters of the Philippine National Police and its logo. File photo

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has validated forty-six election-related incidents (ERIs) from the start of the election period on January 12 until Election Day on May 12.

This is higher than the 27 validated ERIs recorded in the 2022 elections, but lower than the 105 validated ERIs in the 2023 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, according to data shared by the PNP at a press conference in Camp Crame on Tuesday.

For the 2025 election period so far, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) has the most ERIs at 13, followed by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with eight, the police added.

Still, the PNP maintained that the midterm polls were “generally peaceful, secure and orderly.”

“These incidents were isolated and no failure or postponement of elections was recorded anywhere in the country,” PNP Public Information Office Chief Col. Randulf Tuaño said at the press conference.

Meanwhile, as of May 12, 82 incidents across the country were still being validated by authorities, whether they were related to the national and local elections.

“The PNP remains on full alert status as we move to the canvassing and proclamation phase to ensure that the final stages of the election process remain safe and orderly,” Tuaño said.

READ: PNP on ‘full alert’ starting May 3 to ensure ‘safest’ election

27 incidents on election day

Police data also recorded 27 incidents on Election Day.

According to the PNP, the nature of these incidents was the following:

• Five shooting incidents
• Four violations of the Republic Act 10591 or the Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act
• Three explosion incidents
• Two mauling incidents
• Two armed encounters
• Two incidents of voters taking photos of ballots
• Two incidents of interference with the automated counting machines (ACMs)
• One incident of strafing
• One ambush incident
• One robbery incident
• One incident of a delay in the delivery of ACMs
• One incident of flying voters
• One incident of a fire
• One incident of prohibited campaigning

Further, the police detailed that the incidents took place in the following regions:

• Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) – 15 incidents
• Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) – Three incidents
• Western Visayas – Two incidents
• Ilocos Region – One incident
• Cagayan Valley – One incident
• Zamboanga Peninsula – One incident
• Northern Mindanao – One incident
• Davao Region – One incident
• Soccsksargen – One incident
• Negros Island Region (NIR) – One incident

Police have yet to say whether these incidents can already be classified as ERIs.

The PNP-PIO, however, detailed that the incidents on election day resulted in nine deaths and 17 more injuries

Vote-buying incidents now at 43

The PNP also said there were 43 reported vote-buying incidents in the 2025 elections, in the following regions:

• Central Visayas – 11 reported vote-buying incidents
• Ilocos Region – Seven reported vote-buying incidents
• Bicol Region – Four reported vote-buying incidents
• Davao Region – Four reported vote-buying incidents
• Cagayan Valley – Three reported vote-buying incidents
• Calabarzon – Three reported vote-buying incidents
• Zamboanga Peninsula – Three reported vote-buying incidents
• Central Luzon – Two reported vote-buying incidents
• NIR – Two reported vote-buying incidents
• National Capital Region (NCR) – One reported vote-buying incident
• Western Visayas – One reported vote-buying incident
• Eastern Visayas – One reported vote-buying incident
• CAR – One reported vote-buying incident

READ: ‘Stop vote-buying,’ Comelec orders PNP

These incidents involved 96 suspects, of which 50 were arrested, 24 were released, and 22 remained at large, the police said.

The PNP also said 15 of the cases were still under investigation, 12 were for filing, five remain unfiled, five were already filed with prosecutors, four were dismissed, one was for inquest, and one resulted in the respondent posting bail./mcm