EXPLAINER | Root out: COMELEC combats the roots of disinformation in digital campaigning for 2025 Philippine elections

Amidst the widespread dissemination of disinformation, misinformation, and false information—highlighted by a 2022 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey in which 51% of Filipino adults reported difficulty distinguishing fake news on television, radio, or social media—this issue is fueled by the ease of accessing content with just a click and its wide reach.

In response, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has devised a solution as the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) rapidly approach. With candidates beginning to file their certificates of candidacy (COC) on October 1, 2024, COMELEC recently issued a set of rules aimed at regulating candidates' use of digital media for campaigning.

On September 18, 2024, the Comelec en banc promulgated Comelec Resolution (CR) 11064, which sets guidelines for the use, prohibition, and penalties regarding the misuse and abuse of digital technologies during campaigning, especially for the elections to be held next year. They specified the following acts as prohibited during the campaign period:

Those parties that are proven and investigated to be violating the guidelines would lead to the issuance of a Show Cause Order (SCO), which requires the candidates or parties involved to explain why a formal complaint should not be filed against them.

Thus, the task force has the authority to independently file a motu proprio or an election offense complaint against the respondent with the law department if deemed necessary. A motu proprio is an action or proceeding initiated by COMELEC on its own initiative, without the need for a formal complaint or petition from an external party. This means that COMELEC has the authority to investigate or take corrective measures against violating candidates or party-lists regarding their use of digital media, even without being prompted by a complaint.

If any content or campaign materials violate the guidelines, the task force will request technology providers to remove, block, or take down the associated social media accounts, digital platforms, or materials.

To strengthen its efforts, the task force will also expand its composition to include lawyers, special investigators, agents, and representatives from the Office of the Chairman, the Office of the Commissioners, and the Law Department.

Furthermore, cybersecurity officials and highly technical experts from Comelec or other relevant government agencies will be included to enhance its effectiveness.

The Task Force sa Katotohanan, Katapatan, at Katarungan (KKK) sa Halalan, led by the Comelec Education and Information Department (EID), are tasked with enforcing these campaigning rules. Their responsibility is to monitor, investigate, and address reports of alleged digital media misuse during the campaign.

Thus, the resolution by COMELEC requires all candidates, political parties, and their campaign teams to register their official social media accounts, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, and any other online or internet-based campaign platforms with the EID within 30 days of filing their Certificate of Candidacy (COC), with a deadline of December 13, 2024.

In a Facebook post by the Comelec on October 10, 2024, they shared Google Forms links and QR codes for the registration of online campaign platforms to be used by senatorial candidates, local candidates, political parties, party-list organizations, and coalitions during the campaign period. The registration forms require the submission of several documents to fulfill the eligibility for digital campaigning including: Registration Form to be accomplished and submitted online, Notarized Affidavit of Undertaking, Notarized Authority to Register Online Campaign Platform (if submitted by an authorized representative of the candidate or party), photocopy of one (1) valid government-issued ID of the following, as applicable: the candidate and/or their authorized representative; authorized representative of the political party, party-list organization, or coalition; president, chairperson, or secretary-general of the political party, party-list organization, or coalition; and their official digital/online/social media campaign manager, if any.

The above-listed documents must be uploaded and submitted through the registration form. Hard copies of these documents must also be delivered to the office of the COMELEC Education and Information Department within five days of the online submission. The registration form includes the specific address where the hard copies should be sent.

Additionally, the resolution mandates all candidates and political parties to disclose any election or campaign materials produced using artificial intelligence (AI). They are required to clearly state whether AI was used in creating any part of their campaign content and provide detailed information on the nature and extent of the AI’s involvement, including any alterations, enhancements, or manipulations made. Furthermore, an official statement must confirm that all individuals depicted in the modified election material have given their consent.

The Comelec took this action due to past instances where candidates misused digital platforms for campaigning during elections. Some notable events in history include the attacks against former Vice President Leni Robredo during the 2022 presidential elections and the rise of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who captured the public's attention and support during the 2016 presidential elections, largely due to the rapid dissemination of information through social media.

One prominent example is the 2022 national elections, where a Harvard University study titled Parallel Public Spheres: Influence Operations in the 2022 Philippine Elections highlighted how influence operations disrupted what should have been healthy political discussions. The study explained these tactics as "diverse strategic communications aimed at attention-hacking and audience mobilization." One example was the historical distortion and rebranding of the Marcos family’s legacy, portraying them as victims of political history, while downplaying the reality of the Martial Law era as merely a "political narrative." 

The widespread dissemination of historical distortion and rebranding of the Marcoses has spread across several platforms, mainly Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter), and YouTube. These platforms have exposed Filipino social media users to content claiming that during the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the Philippines experienced a "golden era," marked by a booming economy, numerous proposed and completed projects, and the notion that martial law was merely a means to restore peace, democracy, and prosperity.

Moreover, one controversial film that has significantly shaped and confused the minds of social media users is Daryl Yap’s Maid in Malacañang, which sympathizes with the Marcos family during the People Power Revolution. In the film, the young Senator Imee Marcos, portrayed by Christine Reyes, navigates the emotional turmoil and perceived betrayals faced by her family. The film employs a melodramatic tone to emphasize the family's hardships and casts former President Cory Aquino in a controversial light. This movie, according to some historians and critics, has sparked concerns about historical revisionism among Filipinos. They argue that the fact that Imee Marcos is the head of the creative production team is quite suspicious. This involvement suggests a willful manipulation of evidence and narratives to misrepresent events and individuals, thereby advancing a particular agenda. They stated that the fact that Imee Marcos is the head of the creative production team is quite suspicious. Thus, it entailed a willful manipulation of evidence and narratives to misrepresent events and people and advance a particular agenda.

Additionally, the rise of social media influencers, openly aligning with political parties, contributed to heightened political biases and worsened emotional division between groups with different political views.

A notable case was the negative portrayal of former Vice President Leni Robredo through online bots, trolls, and dubious websites. In this video, it can be seen that the social media page which posted it is intentionally mocking Robredo’s speech regarding how the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law has affected the price of rice. She stutters while explaining how much an average Filipino household spends on rice each month.

There, Robredo mentioned that a kilo of rice costs 40 pesos and that an average Filipino family consumes about 10 kilograms per week. However, she made a verbal mistake, incorrectly calculating that 40 pesos times four equals 1600 pesos. She did not clearly state that 40 pesos is the cost of one kilo of rice, meaning a family would need 400 pesos for 10 kilos per week, and over a month, they could spend around 1600 pesos. Due to this short clip, thousands of people began questioning Robredo’s suitability for the presidency, without realizing that her computation was correct, but her delivery was slightly misaligned with her message.  

High-profile campaigners leveraged platforms like Facebook and YouTube to spread false or misleading information. Many of these campaigns employed "influence operations," using bots and trolls to manipulate public opinion and create alternate political realities. According to the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), disinformation surged alarmingly during the May 2022 elections. About 99 percent of the Philippine population is on social media and over half of them is difficult to discern credible news from not. This data shows that many Filipinos who use the digital media almost 24/7 are exposed to disinformation sprawl online.

This spread of disinformation made Robredo one of the primary targets, particularly due to her fierce rivalry with now-President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in the presidential race.

One common tactic used against Robredo was red-tagging, where she and her supporters were falsely accused of being communists or subversives. This disinformation circulation widely across social media, often propagated by government officials and agencies, damaging her reputation and undermining her credibility by painting her as a threat to the state.

Additionally, former President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign during the 2016 national elections benefited significantly from extensive digital campaigning. By utilizing platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and televised advertisements, his campaign successfully attracted public attention through videos of Duterte speaking in public and employing persuasive techniques aimed at engaging voters.

One notable example of this phenomenon was Duterte's campaign promise to eradicate homelessness within six months of taking office—a claim he quickly retracted after being elected. This combination of aggressive and ambitious campaign promises, social media engagement, and the use of online trolls came to be known as the "Duterte effect," and similar tactics were evident in the 2022 presidential election.

However, these concerns are not the only risks that may emerge from excessive or improper use of digital campaigning. A study by Gabriela Borz and Fabrizio De Francesco, professors at the University of Strathclyde in the UK, highlights additional dangers beyond disinformation and hostile political scrutiny among various political groups. These include a lack of transparency in privacy practices and the manipulation of data—not only affecting consumers of online information but also those delivering digital content.

This is due to the widespread use of digital technologies in campaign strategies and content, along with the handling of electoral register data and the use of voter profiling to tailor campaign messages.

Additionally, AI-generated posters, videos, and other campaign materials are alarmingly being used to successfully persuade the voters through social media and to manipulate their voting behaviors.