CONSUMER advocacy group Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy (PARE) warned that instability of the country’s power grid is putting the Philippine mid-term elections at risk.
“As the Philippines prepares for the 2025 midterm elections, all eyes should be on the safeguards that ensure every vote counts. But instead of clarity, we are witnessing a disturbing combination of rushed decisions, questionable technology, and very high risks of power instability, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process,” Nic Satur Jr., PARE convenor, said in a statement.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has awarded a ₱17.9 billion contract to MIRU Systems, a South Korean firm that will supply and operate the country’s new automated election system. The new machines promise faster ballot processing and real-time transmission
“However, the absence of hack-proof testing, public engagement, and experience in the Philippine setting makes this an untested and risky gamble,” Satur said.
On top of these glaring issues, Satur said power instability threatens election day operations and voter turnout, especially in remote and off-grid areas.
While the Department of Energy has guaranteed that there will be no power outages on election day and that they have contingency measures in place, PARE believes that these are not enough assurances that there will be stable power.
“Regulators must go further and enforce accountability across the entire energy chain—from power plants and NGCP to local electric cooperatives. Any power plant that undergoes unscheduled shutdowns during election week due to ‘technical issues’ must be held accountable,” Satur said. He added that all plant maintenance activities should be completed by April to ensure system readiness.
Satur also called on electric cooperatives to ensure stable power before, during, and after election day.
“Without accountability, backup systems, and public visibility, how can we guarantee a ‘no-brownout election’ with data transmission that is accurate, verifiable, and tamper-proof?” Satur said.
He said the 2025 Mid-term Elections must be protected from power instability.
“Democracy must not suffer because someone failed their duty to keep the lights on,” Satur said. He added, “The stakes are too high. Democracy demands more than machines—it demands accountability, transparency, and unwavering commitment from all institutions involved.”
