COMELEC reminds gov’t officials vs. electioneering

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) reminded government officials not to engage in electioneering and partisan activities.

"Bawal po. Bawal po [sila] sa partisan [political] activities (No they can't. They can't participate in partisan political activities)," COMELEC Chairperson George Garcia stated in a Viber message to reporters.

Electioneering and partisan political activities refer to actions meant to promote or defeat a candidate or political party. The 1987 Constitution prohibits government officers and employees in civil service from participating directly or indirectly in these activities.

This rule applies to all members of the civil service, including permanent, temporary, contractual, or casual employees across all government branches, agencies, and instrumentalities, as well as career officers acting in political roles. Uniformed and active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are also covered, along with employees on leave of absence.

Civil servants are still allowed to vote, express their views on political issues, mention the names of candidates they support, and publicly discuss candidates or issues in upcoming elections. On social media, government workers may repost, share, like, or comment on a candidate’s or party’s content, as long as they do not explicitly solicit support for or against a candidate during the campaign period.

Government employees found guilty of participating in partisan political activities may face penalties ranging from suspension (one month and one day to six months for the first offense) to dismissal from service for a second offense, as per the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.

Filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) will take place from 1 to 8 October, while COC filing for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao elections will be from 4 to 9 November.