MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Israel praised the Philippines for demonstrating democracy in its elections, just days after other countries praised the “smooth and peaceful” handling of the 2022 elections.
“We congratulate the Philippines for displaying democracy through national and local elections on May 9,” stated the Israeli Embassy in Manila in a statement on Friday.
The country will continue to work closely with the next government to “strengthen the warm historic relations of our nations and to develop the existing partnerships in agriculture, food security, water, tourism, innovation and technology, defense, and other areas,” according to the embassy.
This comes despite charges of electoral fraud from residents contesting the partial tally, the declaration of election failure in some Lanao del Sur barangays, and reports of faulty vote counting machines (VCMs) on election day, causing delays in the voting process in some precincts.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, congratulated the country on the “smooth” presidential election on Wednesday.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price stated earlier this week that “from a technical sense, the casting and counting of votes were done in accordance with international standards and without substantial incident.”
Japan, Australia, and the regional bloc European Union all complimented the country on holding peaceful elections.
The latest incomplete, unofficial results from the Commission on Elections’ transparency server show Marcos leading by a massive margin, with 31.10 million votes against Vice President Leni Robredo’s 14.82 million votes.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio leads the vice presidential contest with 31.56 million votes, followed by Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan with 9.23 million votes.
