The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) said social media accounts and websites of candidates in connection with the May 2025 local and national elections must be registered.

Comelec Resolution 1164 dated September 24, 2024, requires the registration of websites and internet-based platforms primarily used for election campaigning.

The deadline for registration is on December 13.

“Comelec has been making significant efforts to combat misinformation, disinformation, and fake news. It’s a reality that every candidate now uses social media,” lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec-NIR Election Director, said in an interview yesterday.

The registration requirement applies to candidates, political parties, campaign teams, celebrity endorsers and media practitioners.

All online accounts used to promote or campaign for or against any candidate must be registered.

Violators will face sanctions, including the removal of their social media accounts or the issuance of a show-cause order, Castillano warned. (PNA)