This article talks about the regulation of digital campaign in the 2025 Philippine elections such as the use of social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms.
In a fast-paced and high-tech world, election campaign has transcended the traditional methods of manual and personal techniques. Nowadays, social media has become a powerful tool to get a message across all sectors of society without geographic limitations. As such, it is necessary to regulate the various forms of digital campaign. For this reason, COMELEC issued Resolution NO. 11064 which provides the guidelines on the use of social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology, for digital election campaign, and the prohibition and punishment of its misuse for disinformation, and misinformation, in connection with the 2025 national and local elections and the BARMM parliamentary elections.
Who are Covered
Art. I, Sec. 1 of COMELEC Resolution No. 11064 states that the coverage of these guidelines shall be limited to the regulation of the use, and the prohibition, and punishment of the misuse of social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology, for purposes of digital election campaigning for the 2025 National and Local Elections and the BAR.MM Parliamentary Elections.
Thus, all official social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, 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 managed 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 candidate or candidates, shall be duly registered with the EID (Art. III, Sec. 1, COMELEC Resolution No. 11064.
When to register
Art. III, Sec. 2 of COMELEC Resolution No. 11064 states that registration shall be made within thirty calendar days after the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy until December 13, 2024.
Who Can register
Art. III, Sec. 4 of COMELEC Resolution No. 11064 enunciates that 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, podcasts, blogs/ vlogs, and other online and internet-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, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms primarily designed or used during the election period to solicit votes 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.
How to register
Submission shall be made to the Education and Information Department of the COMELEC through official and online channels. Art. III, Sec. 5 of COMELEC Resolution No. 11064 states that the following shall be required to be submitted online to the EID during the registration period, and a hard copy must be transmitted to the EID within five (5) days from submission:
- A duly accomplished Registration Form which will be accomplished and submitted online;
- A notarized authorization if the registration shall be submitted by the authorized representative of the candidate or party, or the private individual or entity;
- A notarized affidavit of undertaking by the candidate or the authorized official of the political party or coalition, and party-list organizations and their official digital or social media campaign manager, stating that the registered social media and online election campaign platforms shall not misuse social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology for disinformation, or misinformation, against any party or the electoral process, the COMELEC, and the Philippine election system, nor will the same social media campaign be funded or used by any foreign entity to influence and intervene in the Philippine election and COMELEC affairs;
- Private individuals or entities who are covered under these guidelines shall also submit a similar notarized affidavit of undertaking.
- Photocopy of one (1) valid government-issued ID of the candidate, the authorized representative of the political party/ coalition or party-list organization submitting the registration, and their official digital/ online/ social media campaign manager, or the person or entity covered by these guidelines;
All social media accounts and digital campaign platforms for registration to the COMELEC shall be submitted and evaluated by the EID, and subsequently reviewed by the Task Force KKK sa Halalan. Thereafter, the Task Force KKK sa Halalan shall make an endorsement and recommendation for approval or denial of the reviewed applications to the Commission En Banc. All approved registrations by the Commission En Banc shall be endorsed to the EID for publication in the COMELEC’s official website and social media accounts at the national, regional, and local level. The social media accounts and digital campaign platforms created and managed by private individuals and entities or organizations registered with the EID shall also be published [Art. III, Sec. 6 of COMELEC Resolution No. 110640].
Effect of Failure to Register
Failure to register shall produce adverse consequences. As stated in Art. III, Sec. 7 of COMELEC Resolution No. 110640, the concerned candidate, political party/ coalition, party-list organization, and their respective social media campaign managers, and the covered private individuals or entities, shall be required to explain why a complaint for violation of these guidelines should not be filed against them for their failure to register their social media accounts, websites, digital and internet-based campaign platforms in accordance with these rules. A request for the removal, takedown, or blocking of the said content, social media or digital platforms, or accounts shall also be made by the COMELEC through the Task Force KKK sa Halalan to the technology platforms and providers, and/ or the concerned law enforcement agency.
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