PNP logs 97 cases of poll-related violence

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil has ordered PNP units nationwide to expedite the investigation and resolution of all validated election-related incidents (ERIs) following the midterm polls.

The directive, issued on the heels of President Marcos’ order to ensure justice in all ERIs, comes as the PNP recorded 97 cases as of yesterday.

The figure is down from previous elections, but Marbil emphasized that “not a single case should remain unresolved.”

“This is a direct order from the President: we must not allow violence and intimidation to tarnish the democratic process. The PNP will resolve all pending cases,” Marbil said.

He also lauded the 81.65 percent voter turnout, equivalent to over 68 million voters, describing the 2025 midterm elections as the “most peaceful and orderly in the country’s electoral history.”

Vote buying

The PNP has recorded 38 vote buying cases, up from the 24 incidents logged during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in 2023.

Marbil said the uptick in vote buying cases is not necessarily a sign of rising electoral fraud, but a result of stronger police presence, intelligence gathering and rapid response operations nationwide.

Police attributed the increase in reports of vote buying cases to the intensified enforcement of “Kontra Bigay” operations, which supported the Commission on Elections’ campaign against vote buyers.