The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has commended the "notable gains" achieved by the government in the conduct of the midterm elections last May 12.

In a statement, the CHR cited in particular the successful participation of the members of the Badjao Indigenous community in Barangay Manapa, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, many of whom were able to cast their votes for the first time.

"This milestone underscores the importance of local and national efforts to dismantle barriers to indigenous peoples’ political participation," the CHR said.

It said it deployed human rights monitors through its “Bantay Karapatan sa Halalan” (BKH) 2025 project to observe and assess key human rights concerns during the electoral process.

It pointed out that it was proud to note how Filipinos -- particularly among vulnerable and marginalized sectors -- upheld the right to suffrage, equal access to public service, and participation.

At the same time, the CHR cited the introduction of mall voting, which provided voters -- especially persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens, and pregnant women -- with improved access to air-conditioned, spacious, and efficiently managed polling venues.

"This demonstrates the value of public-private partnerships in testing innovative and voter-friendly election solutions," it said.

To accommodate PWDs, seniors, and pregnant women, the Commission on Election (Comelec) also implemented early voting. But it said the innovation would still have to be improved due to poor accessibility in many polling centers.

Also, the CHR cited the voting proceedings for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) as these were conducted smoothly and were generally considered successful, based on reports from media outlets and the Commission's BKH monitors.

It said its Visitorial Division and Regional Offices actively monitored the electoral process in detention facilities across the country. These included the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Angeles City District Jail, Pagbilao District Jail, Pasay City Jail, Quezon District Jail, Caloocan City Jail, and Brooke’s Point District Jail and at the Correctional Institution for Women and the New Bilibid Prison managed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

It also acknowledged actions taken by Comelec and law enforcement agencies to investigate reports of vote-buying and address election-related disinformation.