EDITORIAL - Minimum credible Comelec capability

The Commission on Elections has amended its rules on the registration of social media accounts that will be used in connection with the 2025 midterm elections. Registration is still required for all candidates, and there will be no extension of the Dec. 13 deadline, the Comelec said yesterday. But privately owned accounts no longer need to be registered, even if they endorse candidates, the Comelec announced last Monday.

Under Comelec Resolution No. 11064 issued last September, all national and local aspirants for the 2025 midterm elections and the parliamentary polls in the Bangsamoro region, along with party-list groups, political parties and their campaign team members must register all their official social media accounts and pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs and other online and internet-based platforms. The registration must be done before the Comelec education and information division within 30 calendar days after the period for filing certificates of candidacy.

Registered accounts will require approval of the Comelec sitting as a whole. A list of the approved accounts will be made available on the Comelec website and social media accounts. The registration is being required in line with the Comelec’s efforts to regulate and prevent the misuse of the internet, social media and artificial intelligence in the 2025 elections.

The objective is laudable, but the Comelec must show that it has the capability to pursue it. The poll body is once again vowing to crack down on disinformation and fake news, whose proliferation keeps growing at every electoral exercise, aided along by continuing advances in digital technology.

Watching out for the misuse of AI would be challenging enough. The Comelec is working with media organizations, political parties and poll watchdog groups to battle fake news and malicious information. It would need technical expertise and resources to carry out the campaign effectively. The Department of Information and Communications Technology is assisting in the effort, although it has limited resources and manpower. Social media giants are also providing assistance.

Apart from watching out for fake news and smear campaigns using digital technology, the Comelec needs help in keeping track of campaign spending through online platforms. The near-absence of transparency in campaign finance has been one of the biggest sources of corruption in this country. Again, the Comelec will need a lot of help in showing even minimum credible capability to do this. The involvement of concerned sectors can help provide this capability.