This political report looks at the 2016 elections based on observations of the Compact for Peaceful and Democratic Elections International Observers Mission (COMPACT-IOM) across crucial areas in Isabela, Bohol, Dinagat Islands, and Maguindanao. The report contends that even though the 2016 elections were mainly peaceful and trustworthy, systematic electoral fraud and influence have increasingly focused on exploiting procedural weaknesses within polling stations. Key findings show that vote-buying remains widespread, voting precincts are overcrowded, inconsistent layout of voting rooms, compromised ballot privacy, technical issues with Vote Counting Machines (VCMs), and partisan poll watchers intruding without authorization. To tackle these issues, the report suggests enhancing polling precinct management by increasing training for the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI), providing a temporary ID for authorized voting assistants, creating an accessible ballot design, implementing government-funded voter education in the school curricula, adding a clear “Abstention Vote” choice, and expanding the legal period for categorizing election-related violence.
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