00:00Comelec is now studying that social media influencers are also targeted in the campaign
00:05for the upcoming 2025 National and Local Elections.
00:09Here are the details on the news of the country of Luisa Erispe of TTB.
00:15The official campaign for the candidates for the national position
00:20and also for the party list organization for the 2025 National and Local Elections
00:25will start in two weeks.
00:29That's why the Commission on Elections,
00:31aside from the posters, tarpaulins, and ads on TV and radio,
00:36is also studying the use of influencers during the campaign.
00:41According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia,
00:44if there is an influencer who will endorse a candidate
00:48and will make it a content,
00:50they may ask for the contract
00:53because it must be included in the statement of contributions and expenditures of a candidate.
00:58To what extent are they talking?
01:00Do they have a contract?
01:02Is that the contract that should be included in the statement?
01:04Because the contract in stations like radio and television,
01:08even in the newsroom,
01:09is included in the Comelec for purposes of comparison
01:12with the reports of the candidates or political parties.
01:17The Commission explained that
01:19they do not look at the content of social media influencers.
01:23They just want each candidate to be fair in their expenses,
01:28especially during the campaign.
01:30If TV, radio, newsroom, and even artists are included in the contribution,
01:35the influencers should also be included.
01:37Comelec also stressed that
01:39the candidates will not exceed the spending limit
01:42of P3 per registered voter
01:44for those who have a party
01:46and P5 for those who do not have a party.
01:48The influencers and talents or artists
01:52who will endorse a candidate,
01:54how can we presume them to be paid
01:59by the candidates or political parties?
02:02The candidates who will endorse themselves
02:04will not be included in the contribution.
02:06The regulation will only be included
02:08if they have already paid their fellow influencers.
02:11In addition, the Comelec and TikTok
02:13have signed an agreement
02:15to help with the regulation
02:17of political content on social media.
02:20Meanwhile, aside from the influencers,
02:22Comelec will also look into
02:24the possible regulation
02:26of the upcoming surveys.
02:28It should be commissioned by the candidate.
02:30During the campaign period,
02:32it was also included in the SOCE.
02:34We can make more strict guidelines
02:36regarding the submission of surveys.
02:40Again, we are not against surveys.
02:42This is constitutional,
02:44according to the Supreme Court.
02:46But let's see how this will abuse
02:48and influence
02:50the voting and thinking of our countrymen.
