THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer require the registration of privately owned accounts supporting candidates in the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).
In a resolution given Monday, the poll body amended Resolution No. 11064, which requires the registration of all official social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platforms of candidates, parties, their campaign teams, and private individuals or entities endorsing a candidate’s election or defeat in the upcoming elections.
“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,” according to the amended resolution.
Amended Resolution No. 11064 also removes the requirement for private individuals to submit a notarized affidavit promising not to support the misuse of social media and online election campaigns, as well as the fines for noncompliance.
The Comelec has set the registration deadline as December 13, 2024.
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives previously expressed worry to the Comelec about some of the provisions of Resolution 11064, including the obligatory registration of candidates’, parties’, and participants’ social media accounts, websites, digital and Internet-based campaign platforms, stating that it “might affect freedom of expression.”