A GLOBAL human rights coalition has launched an initiative to monitor election-related violence during this year’s national and local elections. 

The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) announced on Monday that it will have an International Observer Mission (IOM), which aims to provide independent monitoring of the May 9 polls to inform the international community about the election situation in the country.

The electoral watchdog campaign will start this month until the confirmation of elected candidates in June.

The mission was a recommendation by INVESTIGATE PH’s report on cheating and violence in past Philippine elections, ICHRP Global Council Chairperson Peter Murphy said during the live-streamed launch. 

The IOM will be composed of non-Filipino observers in all regions of the country who will present findings every two weeks to the media, he said. 

“The good thing about being in partnership with the international community is having cross border comparisons to share ideas and new perspectives on possible solutions to the problems we face,” Kontra Daya Convenor Danilo A. Arao said. 

The initiative will have participation from academics around the world and a former senator from Australia. 

“People’s lives literally depend on this election to be safely conducted based on the culture of violence from previous elections that may spill over to this year’s elections,” IOM Commissioner Lee Rhiannon, a former senator of Australia, said. 

Mr. Arao said the initiative is independent and not required to register with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). 

The campaign period starts Feb. 8 for national positions and March 25 for local post, both ending on May 7. 

E-RALLIES
Meanwhile, Comelec will start broadcasting e-rallies of national candidates on their Facebook page starting Tuesday night. 

Each presidential, vice presidential, senatorial, and party-list candidate will be covered in the live-streamed rallies.

The first night will feature presidential bets Norberto B. Gonzales, Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, Sr., and Faisal M. Mangondato, Comelec Spokesman James B. Jimenez said in a tweet on Monday.

Comelec has released rules for in-person campaigning, which include limited physical contact to comply with public health protocols. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

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