Jun 20, 2025

The 2025 Philippine Midterm Elections: A Democratic Crisis Marred by Fraud, Red-Tagging, and Systemic Failures

Photo credit: Lisa Marie David via Reuters

Is democracy still alive in the Philippines or just a performance rigged to favor the powerful? The 2025 midterm elections, once hailed as a chance to recalibrate the nation’s future, instead unveiled a deepening democratic crisis. What should have been a pivotal moment for voters to reshape the Senate, House of Representatives, and local governments was marred by glaring irregularities. Rampant vote-buying, mass disenfranchisement, red-tagging of progressive voices, and a shadowy, flawed implementation of the automated election system (AES) painted a grim portrait of a democracy in decline. Both watchdog groups and international observers were left with a troubling conclusion: the 2025 polls were not free, fair, or credible—they were a failure of the democratic process itself.

According to Kontra Daya's 2025 election report, the electoral process from start to finish was riddled with fraud, institutional complicity, and technical flaws that severely undermined public trust in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). This article offers a comprehensive look into the key violations and systemic issues that plagued the May 12 polls, drawing from official documents, watchdog reports, and independent media.

Red-Tagging and Voter Intimidation

One of the most alarming issues during the campaign period was the red-tagging of progressive candidates. Candidates and party-list groups critical of the administration were systematically linked to terrorist organizations in coordinated online disinformation campaigns. These narratives were disseminated on social media platforms in the days leading up to the election, leading to voter confusion and fear.

On the final day of the campaign, multiple Facebook pages circulated fake news about the disqualification of progressive party-lists. This tactic mirrored the state’s previous use of anti-communist rhetoric to vilify dissent and intimidate political opposition, a chilling affront to democratic participation.

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights condemned the red-tagging and violence, noting that “elections held under such conditions can hardly be considered free or fair.”

Vote Buying and the Misuse of Public Funds

Vote-buying remained rampant, especially in tight local races. According to Vote Report PH, the going rate for a vote reached up to ₱16,000 in hotly contested areas. Despite the presence of law enforcement and COMELEC personnel, enforcement remained virtually non-existent.

Adding to the concern was the misuse of government programs like AKAP (Ayuda Para sa Kapos ang Kita Program), which were selectively distributed in a way that clearly favored certain candidates. Videos and reports surfaced showing distribution events where campaign materials were handed out alongside government assistance—an unmistakable abuse of public resources for partisan gain.

Disenfranchisement and Overseas Voting Failures

Disenfranchisement emerged as one of the gravest failures of the 2025 elections. Over 18 million votes were reportedly rejected due to “overvoting”—a term often used when automated counting machines (ACMs) detect more marks than allowed on a ballot. Kontra Daya suspects that many of these rejections were caused not by voter error, but by machine oversensitivity and technical malfunction.

Overseas voting also suffered a disastrous turnout. According to the Philippine News Agency, turnout was only 7.19% in the Americas and 24.15% in the Asia-Pacific region—significantly lower than 2022’s 34.88%. Overseas voters reported delayed ballots, unclear registration procedures, and system glitches. Rappler and ABS-CBN News highlighted that many Filipinos abroad were unable to vote at all.

This mass disenfranchisement, whether by design or neglect, contradicts the democratic principle that every eligible citizen should be able to vote and have their vote counted.

Technical Glitches and the Automated Election System (AES) Fiasco

The 2025 elections marked another low point for the country’s Automated Election System. The procurement of South Korea-based Miru Systems for over ₱17.9 billion raised red flags. The company had a history of controversies abroad, and its selection process was marred by conflict-of-interest allegations and incomplete documentation.

Among the most contentious issues was the mismatch in source code hashes between what was reviewed and what was installed on the ACMs. COMELEC failed to explain why software version 3.5.0 was used instead of the certified 3.4.0 version. This discrepancy seriously compromises the auditability and legality of the votes cast.

Adding to public distrust was the disappearance of the so-called “transparency server”, which previously allowed media and watchdogs to receive live election returns parallel to the COMELEC central server. Instead, transmission was routed through proprietary systems that were neither independently verified nor transparent. Delays in the release of data to groups like PPCRV and NAMFREL meant that results were centralized, unmonitored, and potentially susceptible to manipulation.

In over 15,000 precincts, Kontra Daya reported unreadable or duplicate results and inconsistent digital certificates. COMELEC responded by manually issuing corrected files—another blow to confidence in the AES’ reliability.

The Party-List System: From Reform to Regression

Originally envisioned as a mechanism to amplify marginalized voices, the party-list system has become a playground for dynasties and elites. Kontra Daya’s research found that 86 of 156 accredited party-list groups in 2025 were affiliated with political clans, big businesses, or military figures.

Among the 63 groups proclaimed to the 20th Congress, 40 were flagged for such affiliations. Notably, Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon were proclaimed despite unresolved legal issues and ties to state security forces. This mockery of representation has severely undermined the sectoral intent of the party-list law.

The 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Atong Paglaum v. COMELEC broadened the eligibility criteria for party-lists, allowing entities far removed from marginalized communities to dominate the field. As a result, genuine sectoral groups now face enormous structural and financial barriers to participation.

A Commission Without Credibility

Perhaps most concerning is the COMELEC’s continued evasion of accountability. Despite glaring anomalies—from hash code mismatches and missing transparency servers to massive vote rejections and disenfranchised overseas voters—COMELEC officials dismissed concerns as “minor” or “technical.”

Instead of initiating independent probes or permitting public audits, the Commission blamed transmission congestion and denied any wrongdoing. This culture of denial and opacity not only weakens the institution but endangers the democratic process itself.

Recommendations and the Path Forward

The 2025 elections have shown, beyond any doubt, that the Philippine electoral system is broken. Kontra Daya has issued several urgent recommendations:

Replace the AES with an open-source, hybrid system involving manual precinct-level vote counting and electronic transmission of results.
Reform the Party-List Law, or consider its abolition, to prevent further domination by vested interests.
Investigate foreign interference, particularly the use of troll farms and disinformation campaigns.
De-cluster polling precincts to reduce bottlenecks and potential manipulation.
Ensure transparency in procurement and technology implementation, especially involving foreign contractors like Miru.
Uphold the welfare of election service workers, who often bear the brunt of systemic failures.

A System Beyond Repair?

The 2025 Philippine midterm elections were not simply flawed—they were a glaring indictment of an electoral system captured by elites and complicit institutions. Voter suppression, technological opacity, partisan misuse of government resources, and the silencing of dissent through red-tagging have rendered the democratic process illegitimate in the eyes of many citizens.

Without systemic reform, the Philippines risks becoming a democracy in name only. As Filipino bishops reminded the public, “The vote is sacred. Its manipulation is a sin against truth, justice, and the people.”

The Filipino people deserve an electoral system that protects—not undermines—their sovereignty. The time to act is now.

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