Comelec: No extension on Dec. 13 deadline for socmed registration for 2025 polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not extend the December 13 deadline for the registration of social media accounts of aspirants vying for positions in the 2025 May polls, its chairperson said Tuesday.

“Wala po tayong extension. Kung ayaw niyo matanggal ang mga posts ninyo o ma-delete ng platforms, kailangan niyo iparehistro ang social media accounts,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said.

(There will be no extension. If you don’t want your posts or accounts removed then register your social media accounts.)

According to Garcia, the poll body will not issue an extension to compel party-lists and national and local bets to comply with the guidelines issued to regulate and prohibit the misuse of social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology in next year’s elections.

“Kinakailangan sabihin natin at panindigan na ito ang last day, December 13. On a case-to-case basis natin ginagawa ang extension,” he said.

(We need to be firm with the deadline. The extension will be on a case-to-case basis.)

In September, the poll body issued Resolution No. 11064 that sets the guidelines for the use, prohibition, and punishment of the misuse of the technologies for digital election campaigning for the 2025 national and local elections and the Bangsamoro polls.

Under the resolution, all candidates, parties, and their campaign teams are mandated to register all of their official social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and other online and internet-based campaign platform before the Comelec education and information division within 30 calendar days after the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC), or until December 13, 2024.

The election task force will review the applications and will endorse it for approval or denial to the Commission en banc. Approved registration will be published on the Comelec’s official website and social media accounts

On Monday, the Comelec issued amendments on the resolution, exempting privately-owned accounts endorsing candidates from the mandated registration. —RF, GMA Integrated News