Election-related activities running ‘peacefully, smoothly,’ so far—EU chief observer

The chief observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) assured on Wednesday, May 7, that their group’s election-related activities have so far been “running smoothly and peacefully” despite some members’ assignments to election hotspots.

“Everything is being running smoothly and peacefully, and we are in touch with them all the time. But this is the general mood of the campaign,” she responded when asked about concerns from the observers on the ground.

“The national authorities take care of the security of the citizens and of course also of the observers. So, we are lucky citizens to be perfectly comfortable in the country,” she added.

The 72 long-term observers have already been previously deployed to several regions nationwide. There, Temido stated that they have been “conducting their work according to our principles, and assessing campaign events, getting in touch with election authorities.”

The team will present the first preliminary observation report on May 14, or two days after the elections on May 12.

She, however, stressed that “it’s too soon to say the final results of our assessment” because of the “comprehensive methodology” that will be used to assess the elections and the election-related activities.

“Now, we continue to apply our methodology and we expect to come to you with a preliminary statement on the 14th of May and with a final report two months after Election Day,” she shared.

The preliminary findings, an earlier EU EOM statement said, “will outline initial findings and conclusions, and the extent to which the mission considers the election to have been conducted in line with Philippine laws, as well as with the international commitments to democratic elections the country has subscribed to.”

The comprehensive final report, on the other hand, will include “recommendations for the improvement of future elections.”

“As I mentioned, the preliminary report and after the final report will include recommendations. Recommendations that European Union offer to the country that is observing, and to the citizens of the Philippines, in order to allow them to implement it or not because this is up to the country and to the citizens to decide on its own issues,” Temido explained.

The EU EOM’s concern, she added, is the Filipinos’ “freedom of expression and freedom of exercise the right to vote, more than everything else.”

According to a statement, the EU EOM will have a total of 226 observers on Election Day.

Part of the mission are some 72 long-term observers, 104 short-term observers, and 20 accredited members of the diplomatic community from EU member states, Canada, Norway, and Switzerland who will join the mission in the coming days.

The short-term observers have received a three-day in-depth briefing in Manila on the electoral framework, voting and counting procedures, and the political environment prior to their deployment.

They will be “mobile on the ground” on Election Day to visit different precincts across 76 locations in the provinces and cities from the opening at 5 a.m. to the closing at 7 p.m.

Temido, in the EU EOM statement said, that the mission “aims to contribute to the integrity of the elections, without interfering nor validating its results.”

The EU was invited to observe the elections by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippines government.

The mission maintained its independence and impartiality, and will abide by the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and its Code of Conduct, as well as the laws of the Philippines.