Despite reports of shootings and election-related tensions, the Philippine National Police (PNP) characterized the 2025 midterm and local elections as "generally peaceful."
PNP Chief PGen. Rommel Francisco Marbil explained that no “major incident” was recorded by the police force throughout May 12, the day of the election itself.
Marbil himself led the monitoring of the elections from the PNP Command Center in Camp Crame.
One of the areas closely monitored by police during the elections was Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte, which had been placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
PLt.Col. Jopy Ventura, head of the Bangsamoro PNP Public Information Office, reported that voting resumed today for around 11,000 voters in the area after being delayed due to tensions the previous day.
According to Ventura, the casting of votes concluded earlier this morning, but the transmission of votes remained slow—reaching just over 50 percent by noon—despite the extension granted by the COMELEC.
"Nag-aayos na po sila doon as of this moment. Nagkakaproblema lang po kami as of this moment sa transmission. Nasa 53% pa lang po according sa Chief of Police sa Datu Odin Sinsuat," said Ventura.
The number of incidents recorded by the national police on election day, May 12, has risen to 27.
According to PNP Public Information Chief PCol. Randulf Tuaño, the figure includes five shootings, three explosions, and other election-related incidents.
Of the total, 14 were reported from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where five individuals were killed and four others injured.
Despite this, the number of incidents still marked a 56.19 percent decrease compared to the 105 incidents recorded during the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
However, in the latest press briefing at PNP Headquarters, PNP Public Information Chief PCol. Randulf Tuaño said that updated reports are still coming in, including the number of casualties or fatalities related to the election.
Moreover, the full alert status remains in effect until all election paraphernalia are returned and the final counting is completed.As of May 13, nearly 99 percent of election paraphernalia have been returned nationwide.
Tuaño reiterated that this is proof of the “generally peaceful” manner in which the public was able to cast their votes.
