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Comelec Chair George Garcia shows a sample of the electronic ballot during the Local Source Code Review of the Automated Election Systems (AES) at the Circuit Corporation One building in Makati city on October 11, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Comelec

Willard Cheng

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172959829971720241011-comelec-source-code-review-JC-1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Comelec Chair George Garcia shows a sample of the electronic ballot during the Local Source Code Review of the Automated Election Systems (AES) at the Circuit Corporation One building in Makati city on October 11, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Comelec Chair George Garcia shows a sample of the electronic ballot during the Local Source Code Review of the Automated Election Systems (AES) at the Circuit Corporation One building in Makati city on October 11, 2024. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA - Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials led by Chairman George Garcia and citizens’ arms representatives visited the PLDT Vitro data center in Parañaque, one of the three data centers that will house Comelec servers that will be used in the 2025 elections.</p><p>Speaking to reporters, Garcia said the visit is part of the poll body’s effort to promote transparency and let the public know the locations where the Comelec’s main, back up and servers intended for the majority and minority parties, citizens’ arms, and media will be housed.</p><p>Security will be tight in the data centers and entry will be allowed only with the Comelec en banc’s authorization.</p><p>“Ngayon gusto natin malaman ng sambayanan saan ba located yan, saan pinapadala lahat ng results at saan ba ang pinaka server ng Commission ng Elections,” Garcia said.</p><p>“Yung lahat ng mga data o result coming from the different 104,000 precincts nationwide ay dyan lahat papasok sa mga servers natin from the precincts direct sa mga server passing through sa mga telcos natin,” he added.</p><div><strong>COMELEC REMINDS CANDIDATES TO REGISTER SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS</strong></div><p>The Commission on Elections reminded candidates that they have until December 13 to register their social media accounts.</p><p>Comelec chairman George Garcia said the poll body will not intrude in the candidates’ posts but said this will allow it to monitor their content for possible ethical violations, recalling a previous case where a barangay candidate was warned for using a campaign jingle with “double meaning.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/12/comelec-defends-social-media-regulation-for-2025-elections-2057">READ: Comelec defends social media regulation for 2025 elections</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/17/comelec-coordinating-with-social-media-firms-vs-ai-deepfakes-1611">READ: Comelec coordinating with social media firms vs AI, deepfakes</a></div><p>“Hindi naman po rason ang regulasyon upang i-violate natin ang karapatan ng mga tao na nakalagay sa saligang batas. Subalit ang pakiusap natin kung wala talagang balak na manggulang ang mga kandidato o walang balak na mag commit ng ethical violations or moral man lang, sana iparehistro sana ang kanilang social media accounts. Sapagkat napaka importante yun upang ma-monitor namin yung kanilang mga kinikilos, yung kanilang nilalagay pati na rin yung kanilang ginagastos kung meron man,” Garcia told reporters.</p><p>He added the poll body wants to monitor their expenses, including the hiring of influencers to promote a candidacy, which candidates will also have to declare especially in their statement of campaign contributions and expenses which they are required to file after the polls.</p><p>Commissioner Nelson Celis yesterday said influencers supporting candidates also have to register their social media accounts.</p><p>“Tama magagamit at magamit nila pero pwede rin namin sabihin nasaan ang binayad niyo dyan? Pwede rin namin habulin at pwede rin… makipag coordinate kami sa Bureau of Internal Revenue, ginamit itong influencer na to, nagbayad ba ng buwis? Nag report ba ng income sapagkat di namin pwede sabihin donation lang ang lahat,” Garcia said.</p><p>Garcia warned candidates who fail to register their social media accounts may face sanctions.</p><p>Garcia said, “Sana huwag nyo subukan ang Comelec, sapagkat pwede kami mag disqualify sa inyo, pwede namin kayo file-an ng election offense na may 1 hanggang 6 na taong pagkakakulong.”</p><p>“Ang takot lang (mag-register) ang mga magwawalang hiya, yung mga aabuso lalo na medyo silang pera o kaya dahil may kakayanan sila. Sana huwag naman ganoon. Kung may patakaran sinusunod,” he added.</p><p>According to Comelec’s Education and Information Division, as of October 22, there are already 179 local candidates that have submitted online registrations, 3 senatorial aspirants, and 4 party list groups. Meanwhile, 62 have submitted hard copy registrations. Garcia said the number is still far from the estimated 44,000 candidates vying in the 2025 elections.</p><div><strong>LIST OF NOMINEES</strong></div><p>The Comelec is targeting to publish on Wednesday the list of nominees of party list groups and organizations. Garcia urged the public to scrutinize the list and file petitions to cancel a nominee’s CONA if they are not qualified, pointing out the poll body has no motu propio power to do so.</p><p>“Pwede file-an ng cancellation of nomination at pwede namin tanggapin yan limang araw pagkatapos ng publication kaya sana para di naman natin nasisisi ang Comelec kung bakit nagiging nominee ito, kung bakit nakatakbo, sana naman ay i-exercise natin ang kapangyarihan na yan at karapatan natin na mag-question sa kahit sino,” Garcia said.</p><p>“Kung di sila kabilang doon sa sektor na kanilang kinakabilangan, o kaya naman ay hindi pala sila Filipino citizen, di pala registered voter pala o di naman pala residente ng Pilipinas. Yan po ay mga basic na qualification o di naman pala kay may conviction by final judgement sa isang krimen o kaya naman perpetually disqualified pala to hold public office na hindi lang namin alam. Kinakailangan iinform din kami tungkol sa kasong kinakaharap ng mismong kandidato,” he added.</p><p>The poll body will also publish in the coming days the COCs of candidates.</p><div><strong>SPECIAL ACTION CASES</strong></div><p>The Commission meanwhile targets to resolve all cases to declare certain candidates as nuisance before the end of November.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/19/comelec-to-resolve-nuisance-candidate-cases-within-november-917">READ: Comelec to resolve &#x27;nuisance candidate&#x27; cases within November</a></div><p>This includes the 117 motu proprio petitions of the Comelec’s law department to declare 117 senatorial aspirants as nuisance candidates, many of which, Garcia said, have filed their answer even before they were required to answer. These petitions have been raffled to the poll body’s 2 divisions for resolution.</p><p>Garcia added there are around 200 local petitions to declare certain candidates as nuisance.</p><p>“Hindi kino-compromise ang issue ng due process,” Garcia said.</p><p>“Yan po ay ire resolve lahat ng division ng comelec, maaari hanggang en banc, bago matapos ang Nobyembre sapagkat ang commitment po ng inyong Komisyon, dapat walang nuisance candidate ang kasama sa balota upang hindi nakakalito or nakakagulo sa ating mga kababayan,” he added.</p><p>The poll body is also set to conduct an end-to-end testing of the automated election system for two weeks to include voting, transmission and internet voting which will be live-streamed, Garcia said, with mock elections to be held later.</p><p>The Comelec will also conduct a local source code review, saying it will be open to interested reviewers.</p><p>Commissioner Celis said, “Di naman natin ililimit yan sa mga naunang mga source code reviewers so yung mga iba pang interesado pang sumali sa local source code review kayo po aming inaanyahan at mayroon po kaming procedure in accepting mga reviewers through our EID (education and information division).”</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Py0C1Weo6U0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Commission on Elections reminded candidates that they have until December 13 to register their social media accounts.</p>

The Commission on Elections reminded candidates that they have until December 13 to register their social media accounts.

Comelec reminds candidates to register social media accounts

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Comelec reminds candidates to register social media accounts

Willard Cheng,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 22, 2024 08:01 PM PHT

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