The Commission on Elections in the Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and other relevant agencies to cooperate with the media to effectively combat misinformation and disinformation surrounding the upcoming elections.
“I am reiterating the call made by Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia during a command conference at Camp Aguinaldo for these agencies to proactively counter misinformation and disinformation by ensuring their accessibility to the media and by disseminating pertinent information through their respective social media platforms,” Comelec-NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano said in an interview on Tuesday, April 29.
Castillano told the Philippine News Agency that “disinformation poses a significant threat to our electoral system, potentially undermining the credibility and acceptability of the May 12 election results and, consequently, jeopardizing our democratic processes.”
He noted that while the electoral process this year is designed to be “highly transparent,” certain sectors, including some candidates, have expressed doubts regarding the credibility of the automated system, alleging that the vote-counting machines are susceptible to hacking.
During the NIR Regional Joint Security Control Center meeting held on Monday afternoon, April 28, at the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, Castillano urged members of the government security forces to provide the media with accurate and timely information related to the elections.
“I entrust you with the security aspects, as you are the experts in this field. However, through your designated spokespersons from the various commands, I implore you to make yourselves available to the media, both during and leading up to the elections, to reassure the public that our democratic and electoral processes are functioning effectively,” he said.
He clarified that information and events suitable for public dissemination through the media include incidents occurring before, during and after the elections, as well as details on crimes, security concerns, and violations of regulations such as the Comelec gun ban and other election-period prohibitions.
Castillano stressed that while confidential information should not be disclosed to prevent compromising security, other details, such as statistical data, should be made available whenever feasible. The police, military and similar agencies can share this information through their official social media accounts or via designated information officers, he added. (PNA)