By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
SAN JUAN CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday (Sept. 27) made clarification on registration of the social media (Socmed) accounts of candidates and deepfakes and how to regulate and monitor them for the upcoming May 2025 midterm national and local elections.
During “The Agenda” Media Forum at Club Filipino hosted by Dexter Ganibe, Atty. Maria Lourdes Fugoso-Alcain, Chief of Staff of Comelec Commissioner Nelson J Celis, under Comelec Resolution N0. 11064 the candidates, political parties, party-list who will be involved in the campaign, can register their social media accounts in December this year.
The candidates must first file their respective Certificate of Candidacy (COC), after which, they can register up to five accounts or unlimited accounts of their social media platform such as the website.
Even the bloggers are also mandated to register their respective social media and AI if they will use them for political campaign in the 2025 midterm elections.
“We did not limit the registration to just the candidates and the political parties. The difference is that we are registering the social media platforms and AI for detection, monitoring and filing of complaint which the Comelec has been preparing for about a year,” Alcain said.
“As of today, there is still no limit in the utilization of the social media platform and AI before the official campaign period starts,” she added.
Under the guidelines, which was just promulgated by the Comelec on Sept. 17, 2024, provides that if the technology platforms were not registered, practical and new solutions will be utilized by the Comelec to take down the accounts of unregistered social media platforms or AI.
If it was not designed for campaign purposes, but the same is used, it will be taken down by the Comelec for violation and “due process” will be applied to those who will be found responsible for such violations.
The Comelec will require the registration of social media platforms and AI for the upcoming May 2025 midterm national and local elections in order to address the proliferation of disinformation, misinformation or fake news.
Online messaging apps which will be used for campaign purposes from Feb. 12, 2025 to May 10, 2025 must also be registered with the Comelec.
The Comelec will also “triangulate” those accounts which are wrongly influencing the voters through fake accounts and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) has the capability to determine them.
With freedom of expression, the Comelec will not do anything to step on the rights of the people.
Jan. 12, 2025 will be the start of the campaign period for the May 2025 midterm national and local elections.
The law provides that the candidates are considered as official candidates during the start of the campaign period.
In their Summit in South Korea, Tech platforms have committed to uphold election integrity all over the world in taking down the “fake accounts” who may commit violations of the election law.
The Comelec does not dwell on the “content” but more on the “behavior” such that if an individual uses an AI tech, at least it should be disclosed. The AI itself is not the problem but if it is used to destroy the integrity of the election.
Atty. Mazna Lutchavez, Legal Head of the Office of Commissioner Celis and representing Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, said that media influencers also need to register online for free.
“It is open to all candidates, as well as political parties, to register their respective social media platforms and AI,” Lutchavez said.
Because it is new technology, there is no limit on the “airtime” of social media platforms and AI, however, the expenses of the candidates in putting up their campaign through the social media platforms and AI will be included in the SOCE (Statement of Contribution and Expenses).
The Summary of Advertising Contract will be required by the Comelec to determine who are “boosting” their campaign which will begin on March 28, 2025 for the local positions and Feb. 12, 2025 for the national positions.
“Aggregate or total” will be monitored by the Comelec for personal and party expenses which are separately P3 expenses for party to be included in the SOCE and separate P5 expenses for personal account of the candidate.
It can be recalled that a provincial governor was disqualified for “overspending”
“Overspending” is such that a candidate has exceeded the limit of election expenses which can be punished with perpetual disqualification from public office.
A Task Force was established during the recent Barangay Elections for the election offenses of Barangay official candidates, there were violations committed after they were notified and summoned by the Comelec.
If it is a misinformation against the Comelec itself, which will be outrightly taken down, but if it is a misinformation against a candidate, it will be referred to the Task Force or endorsed to the Cybercrime Division, from there, a criminal complaint may be initiated.
Under the Fair Elections Act, the Comelec has the power to implement Sections 261-11 of the Omnibus Election Code, concerning misinformation, disinformation or fake news, violation of this will be an offense against a candidate or a party, which can be a ground for their disqualification.
Freedom of information involving factual information. Digital tools were only included in the guidelines pertaining to the registration of social media platforms and AI.
The Digital Election Campaign will be included in the
On the new technology platform in levelling up the engagement with the community, Jose Czarauz Parra, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer of Asianlink.AI, new way for personalize the news, public service with easy access and seamless integration of lifestyle and e-commerce.
It is a super app made in the Philippines to aggregate the media organizations.
Localized public service system and localized emergency system, where the registrants will receive notifications personalized and localized, it is open to the public for as long as it is compliant with the Omnibus Election Code.
The Asianlink.AI is purposely designed for dissemination in order that the government will be more accessible to the public through the use of the app.
As of today, there is still no system or integration with the Comelec as Asianlink.AI is focused on event and crime reporting and in the future it will be expanded to other features such as matters involving the elections.
The Filipinos, especially the Filipino overseas, are assured that Asianlink.AI are only disseminating news and information from trusted news organizations and will have “Smart fact-checking” features.
The European Union, included in the Regulatory Office to indicate that the AI is levelled as “political”.
The technology now because of its fast phase, it is easy to create with the use of AI to manipulate many things, but the detection software is less. There is a disparity between the new technologies and the detection softwares.
The Asianlink.AI, based on their research, the Filipinos are good people who have good intent, which prompted Asianlink to put the crime and public service system.
