CALAMBA CITY (PIA) – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) advised political aspirants to register all digital platforms they will use for campaigning in the run up to the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
In an interview during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas, lawyer Margaret Joyce Reyes-Cortez, Assistant Regional Election Director, said that while online campaign is permitted, candidates must disclose the platforms they plan to use.
Signed by COMELEC Chairperson George Garcia on September 17, Resolution 11064 requires that all digital and internet-based platforms–including social media accounts, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online campaign tools—used by candidates must be registered with the COMELEC Education and Information Department (EID) until December 13.
“With respect to the social media platforms and any online platforms that will be used by our candidates, the COMELEC has signed a resolution requiring candidates to register at the EID,” Reyes-Cortez said.
She added: “Registration forms are posted on our COMELEC website, and we need to register them [those platforms] to the COMELEC, all the social media platforms that will be used by the candidates for their online campaigning.”
Poll bets may face election offense or disqualification cases for their failure to register their social media accounts under the digital elections campaign guidelines.
The COMELEC will also request for the removal, takedown, or blocking of the content, social or digital media platforms or accounts through the Task Force KKK sa Halalan.
The poll body reported that in CALABARZON alone, about 3,987 aspirants are vying for position such as district representatives, governors, vice governors, mayors, vice mayors and seats on the provincial board and local councils.
Meanwhile, 17 candidates have since withdrawn their Certificate of Candidacy (COC).
CALABARZON remains the country’s most vote-rich region, with 9,764,170 registered voters for the upcoming elections. Cavite, the most populous province in the region leads with 2,460,981 registered voters–the highest in the country. (PB/PIA4A)
The Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas is a weekly media forum program of the Philippine Information Agency, in partnership with the Presidential Communications Office, highlighting the programs, projects, and policies of the national government under the Bagong Pilipinas governance agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration.
