THE Commission on Elections-Davao Region (Comelec-Davao) is encouraging all qualified candidates to run for the 2025 national and local elections to register their online campaign platforms on or before December 13, 2024.
Comelec-Davao acting regional director lawyer Gay Enumerables told the Davao media at the sidelines of the nationwide kickoff of the Automated Counting Machine (ACM) on December 2 that candidates and the political parties participating in next year’s midterm elections have only 10 days left to register their platforms.
This means that the December 13 deadline for registration for the candidates’ or parties’ social media accounts will no longer be extended.
According to the official, the poll agency is requiring candidates and political parties to register all their social media accounts to prevent disinformation and misinformation during the campaign.
If a certain candidate fails to comply with the requirements and fails to register on the deadline their social media accounts, the Comelec will issue a notice of removal or notice to explain, based on the Task Force Katotohanan Karapatan Katarungan (KKK) for the election.
The Comelec said in November that it removed the guidelines governing private citizens' social media accounts from its social media rules for the 2025 midterm elections.
The memorandum stated that only candidates' and political parties' official social media sites, accounts, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms would need to register with the Comelec Education and Information Department.
The Comelec revealed that this decision was reached following stakeholder engagements in which the topic of freedom of expression was examined and given consideration.
“The freedom of expression is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution, serving as a cornerstone of a democratic society by ensuring open dialogue, the free exchange of ideas, and the protection of individual opinions, allowing Filipinos to speak freely on various issues, including politics, governance, social issues and the elections,” the Comelec’s memorandum read.
In a bid for a transparent and fast transmission of votes for the elections, the Commission on Elections conducted the nationwide kick-off of the ACM from December 2, 2024, until January 2, 2025.
The voter education and ACM roadshow shall include the deployment of one ACM per region, city, and municipality nationwide. DEF
