Two people were killed and seven others were injured in a shooting incident in Silay City, Negros Occidental on election day, police said. 

MANILA – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it has so far validated 49 election-related incidents (ERIs), with 27 violent incidents recorded on May 12 still pending verification to determine if they are poll-related.

The PNP said the Cordillera Administrative Region recorded the highest number of ERIs at 15, followed by Bangsamoro with eight and Calabarzon with six.

The PNP said the 2025 elections showed a “considerably improved security landscape,” with a decline in recorded violence compared to the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

It added that the number of ERIs in 2025 was 53 percent lower than the 105 incidents recorded in 2023.

However, the ERIs during this year’s national and local polls are higher compared to the 27 reported during the 2022 presidential elections.

“Bagamat may mga naiulat na insidente sa ilang lugar gaya ng Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao o BARMM at lalawigan ng Abra, ito ay mga isolated cases lamang at agad namang inaksyonan ng ating mga kapulisan,” PNP Public Information Office Chief. Col. Randulf Tuaño said in a media briefing at Camp Crame.

(Although incidents have been reported in some areas like the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM and the province of Abra, these are isolated cases and were immediately acted upon by our police.)

Tuaño said the improvement could be attributed to intensified security operations, close coordination with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the proactive deployment of personnel to election areas of concern.

“Ang 53 percent na pagbaba ng ERIs ay patunay ng mas pinaigting, mas pinagtibay at mas pinagbuklod na pagbabantay ng PNP lalo na sa mga lugar na itinuturing na areas of concern,” Tuaño said.

(The 53 percent drop in ERIs is proof of the PNP’s more intensified, reinforced, and united security efforts, especially in areas considered as areas of concern.)

“Ang Pambansang Pulisya ng Pilipinas…ay buong puwersa ang ibinuhos — mula sa mahusay na deployment, sapat na kagamitan, matinding pagsasanay, at mahigpit na koordinasyon sa Comelec, Armed Forces of the Philippines, local government units at iba pang mga katuwang na ahensya,” he continued.

(The Philippine National Police… gave its full force — through efficient deployment, sufficient equipment, rigorous training, and strong coordination with the Comelec, Armed Forces of the Philippines, local government units, and other partner agencies.)

The PNP on Wednesday downgraded its alert status from full alert to heightened, reducing the police deployment to 75 percent following the conclusion of voting and proclamation of some candidates.

“Mananatili pa rin ang mga naka-deploy lalo na po doon sa  mga lugar kung saan hindi pa po tapos ‘yong kanilang bilangan at pagsusumite ng election return,” Tuaño said.

(Those who are deployed will remain, especially in areas where the counting and submission of election returns are not yet finished.)

Meanwhile, the election gun ban will remain in effect until June 11, marking the end of the 2025 election period.

The Philippines has a long history of election violence, with armed groups of political rivals routinely fighting over positions that control local government spending.

As polls opened Monday, two men were killed and seven wounded in Silay City, Negros Occidental when men fired on a group outside a local party headquarters from a moving vehicle.

A day before, at least 4 people were killed in a clash between supporters of rival political camps in Basilan, the Philippine army reported. — With a report from Agence France-Presse