ILOILO City – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has called on all political aspirants and parties who filed their Certificates of Candidacy from October 1 to 8 to register their social media accounts.
The poll body aims to monitor election propaganda and combat the threats of disinformation and misinformation online, according to Comelec Region 6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan.
The directive, part of Comelec Resolution No. 11064, sets guidelines on the use of social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology for digital election campaigns, as well as outlines the prohibition and penalties for misuse leading to disinformation and misinformation in connection with the May 2025 national, local elections, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections.
“This is our first attempt to regulate social media to the extent it relates to campaigning. Previously, our regulations were confined to mainstream media — print and broadcast — which are well-known, but there were no laws that govern or regulate social media. Hence, the commission, despite the lack of statutory foundation, decided to enact this resolution to regulate it,” explained Ausan.
Ausan clarified that Comelec does not intend to significantly interfere with the content on social media to avoid impacting freedom of expression and speech but aims to monitor potential expenses and prevent the spread of false information.
“While our focus isn’t much on content, if it’s clearly meant to mislead voters and disrupt the electoral process, the Commission can intervene,” he added.
As of now, several candidates and political parties have started registering their accounts, and the Comelec is continuing its Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign. This campaign includes distributing copies of the resolution to guide aspirants and parties through the registration process.
TIGHTENING THE NOOSE VS FAKE NEWS
Based on the Comelec Resolution No. 11064, “all official media accounts and pages, websites, podcast, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms” of candidates, and parties intending to participate in the 2025 national and local elections and parliamentary elections, and their respective campaign teams, and those created, or manage by any person or entity, other than the candidates or parties themselves, that are primarily designed or primarily used to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidates or candidates, shall be duly registered with the Commission’s Education and Information Department.
Registration shall be made within 30 calendar days after the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) until December 13, 2024.
Who may submit registration form?
Only the candidates and their authorized representatives as well as authorized representatives of registered political parties/coalitions, and party-list organizations, may submit their registration forms for their official social media accounts and pages, websites, podcast, blogs, vlogs, and other online and interned-based campaign platforms.
Any person or entity other than a candidate or political party, who shall create or manage similar social media accounts and pages, websites, podcast, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms primarily designed or used during the election period to solicit voters and promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates, shall also submit the registration forms and comply with the requirements of this guidelines.
The following must be submitted during the registration:
* Duly accomplished registration form (to be accomplished and submitted to the EID)
* Notarized authorization (to be submitted by the authorized representative of the candidate or party, private individual or entity)
* Notarized affidavit of undertaking (by the candidate or authorized representative of a political party, coalition, or party-lists)
* Photocopy of one valid government-issued ID (of the candidate, authorized representative)
Upon submission of the requirements during the registration, these are the following steps of approval and publication of digital campaigns through social media:
* Issuance of receipt and final evaluation by the EID
* Further review by the Task Force KKK sa Halalan and endorsement to the Comelec en banc
* Approval by the Commission en banc
* Publication by the EID
Meanwhile, registered social media accounts and other platforms shall disclose their AI usage and use appropriate technology to identify the legitimacy of the sources used. This also includes disclosure that a certain content has been manipulated by AI.
Failure to disclose AI usage will require an explanation why a complaint for violating the rule should not be filed against them. Requests to take down or block AI-generated contents in the digital platforms will be done by the poll body through Task Force sa Katotohanan, Katapatan at Katarungan sa Halalan (Task Force KKK sa Halalan) to technology partners and concerned law enforcement agencies.
CONTENT GUIDELINES
In using visual media, the disclosure or disclaimer must be done:
* Text of the disclosure or disclaimer must appear in a font size no smaller than the largest font used within the campaign material
* Must be large enough to be readable
* Must be clearly distinguished from other content, with sufficient color contrast between the text and the background
* Must be enclosed in a printed box that can be distinguished from other contents
For audio-only media, the disclosure or disclaimer must be done:
* Must be spoken in a clear and audible manner
* Volume should be easily heard by the listener
For audio-visual media, the disclosure and disclaimer must be done:
* Must be in visible written form and audible statement
* Ensure that content is understandable for an average viewer
PROHIBITED USE OF ‘FALSE AMPLIFIERS’
Usage of “fake amplifiers” or fake accounts, bots, deepfakes to spread disinformation and misinformation against a certain candidate or party, the Philippine election system, Comelec, or the electoral process has corresponding disciplinary actions.
Once the usage is reported, monitored or detected by the Task Force KKK sa Halalan, the following actions must be done:
* Gathering, documenting, recording, and preserving evidence by the task force
* Initial validation and investigation of reports, complaints, or detections
* Issuance of show cause order
* Motu proprio filing of election-related offense to the law department
* Submission of complaint to the technology platform or to the National Telecommunications Commission, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, the National Bureau Investigation Cybercrime Division, the MTRCB (Movie and Television Review and Classification Board) or other concerned agencies
* Referral of complaint to other agencies
* Initial debunking of the false information propagated. (With a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)/PN