On Wednesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued guidelines for digital election campaigns ahead of the 2025 national and local elections.
Based on the Resolution No. 11064, the guidelines cover the utilization of social media platforms, the internet for the digital campaign, and AI (artificial intelligence) as well as the restriction and penalty of propagating disinformation and misinformation in the 2025 midterm elections.
All social media accounts, such as websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online platforms used by candidates, parties, and teams that are participating in the 2025 elections, must be registered with the EID within 30 days of the filing of certificates of candidacy until December 13, 2024.
Listed below are the following requirements to 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)
Following the submission of the requirements throughout the registration, these are the procedures of approval and dissemination of digital campaigns by means of 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
Procedures in creating visual , audio, and audio-visual contents
In employing visual media, the disclosure or disclaimer must be executed:
- 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
On audio-only media, the disclosure or disclaimer must be executed:
- Must be spoken in a clear and audible manner
- Volume should be easily heard by the listener
For audio-visual media, the disclosure or disclaimer must be executed:
- Must be in visible written form and audible statement
- Ensure that content is understandable for an average viewer
Forbidden use of fake amplifiers
Use of “fake amplifiers” or fake accounts, deep fakes, bots to promote disinformation and misinformation about a specific candidate or party, Comelec, the Philippine election system, or the electoral process has resulted in disciplinary measures.
Once someone has been reported due to its usage and reported or monitored by the Task Force KKK sa Halalan, the following actions must be executed:
- 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