Comelec launches free campaign airtime platform for national candidates

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday launched a Facebook page that will provide a platform for free livestreaming of national candidates' online political rallies amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Campaign S.A.F.E. Comelec e-Rally Channel on Facebook grants online airtime to candidates for President, Vice President, Senator and party-list groups ranging from three to 10 minutes.

Each candidate for president and vice president will have a 10-minute airtime  for each of three slots in a day, while Senate bets will have three minutes for each of five slots in a day.

Party-list groups, on the other hand, will have three minutes each for each five slots per day. 

Political parties, for their part, will each enjoy 10 minutes for each of their three slots per day. 

The platform will be available by February 8, the start of the campaign period for national candidates. 

“The COMELEC  is set to release  a schedule of e-rally timeslots for each elective position. Beginning February 8, live-streaming of e-rallies will be conducted every night on the official social media channels of the Comelec,” the poll body said in a statement.

“Every night, there will be three Presidential and three Vice-Presidential 10-minute slots and ten Party List three-minute slots,” it added.

Likewise, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body will issue the pertinent guidelines on how the candidates and party list organizations can participate in the e-Rally channel. 

“This platform can help ensure that even those candidates who have less in followers can still have more in views and exposure, so to speak," Jimenez added. — BM, GMA News