The Makabayan Bloc on Wednesday urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to clarify is social media guidelines for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.

Makabayan wrote to Comelec seeking clarification regarding the poll body’s new social media guidelines, which mandate the registration of all social media accounts primarily used for campaigning, stating that these rules have “a big impact on freedom of expression.”

“Although we stand together in the fight against disinformation and abuse of social media, this should not affect the right to express and the ability to campaign,” the group said in Filipino.

They added that their concerns pertain to the “overbroad scope” of the guidelines, the vagueness of some provisions, as well as the mandatory registration of social media accounts, websites, digital and Internet-based campaign platforms of candidates, parties, and non-candidates, along with the implications for free speech and privacy.

Makabayan noted that their call stemmed from concerns of social media users, media practitioners, and netizens who fear their social media accounts may be at risk of being taken down or blocked as they might be subjected to what might be construed as “disinformation and misinformation against a candidate, a political party/coalition, and [a] party-list group [or] against the Philippine election system, the Comelec, and the electoral processes."

In a reponse to DAILY TRIBUNE query late Wednesday night, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia stated that that the poll body will engage in dialogue with the Makabayan Bloc on Monday, 4 November.

Garcia earlier reminded candidates that they have until 13 December to register their social media accounts.