COTABATO CITY – The Independent Election Monitoring Center (IEMC) for BARMM and Sulu commences its critical 24-hour operation today, May 11, continuing through May 13, 2025, to safeguard the integrity of the national and local elections. This intensified monitoring period coincides with the peak election days.

Recognizing the unique electoral challenges in the region, including potential violence, fraud, and logistical hurdles, the COMELEC-recognized IEMC will act as a central hub for real-time monitoring and response. Volunteer incident monitors will be on standby to receive validated reports from IEMC’s seven partner organizations.

Operating under established Incident Management and Incident Command Systems, the IEMC aims to ensure clear communication and efficient resource deployment to address any election-related incidents. The center will also disseminate regular updates through bulletins on its Facebook page at 3 pm and 8 pm today, and at 10 am, 3 pm, and 8 pm on May 12 and 13.

The IEMC's formal recognition by COMELEC provides it with direct links to local election monitoring centers (PEMAC and C/MEMAC), enabling real-time information sharing and collaborative incident response. This initiative, spearheaded by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG), National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Notre Dame University (NDU), Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation (NDBC), Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Cotabato City, Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA), and the Coalition for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT), underscores the commitment to transparent, credible, and inclusive elections in BARMM and Sulu. This move is supported by COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia and the entire commission. The IEMC is dedicated to working with all stakeholders to ensure a successful and peaceful electoral process.