 | This article'stone or style may not reflect theencyclopedic tone used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia'sguide to writing better articles for suggestions.(October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
.svg) Official seal | |
_wiki.jpg) Palacio del Gobernador, head office | |
| Abbreviation | COMELEC |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Department of Interior |
| Formation | August 22, 1940; 85 years ago (1940-08-22) |
| Headquarters | Palacio del Gobernador |
| Location |
|
| Membership | 1 chairperson, 6 commissioners |
Chairperson | George Erwin M. Garcia |
| Budget | ₱14.6 billion (2021)[2] |
| Employees | 4,836 (2024)[1] |
| Website | www |
 |
|---|
 Philippines portal |
TheCommission on Elections (Filipino:Komisyon sa Halalan), abbreviated asCOMELEC,[3] is one of the threeconstitutional commissions of thePhilippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct ofelections in the Philippines.
The other two Constitutional Commissions are theCommission on Audit andCivil Service Commission.
According to Article IX-C, Section 2 of the1987 Constitution of the Philippines, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) shall exercise the following powers and functions:[4]
TheCOMELEC was created by a 1940 amendment to the 1935Constitution of the Philippines. Prior to the creation of theCOMELEC, supervision over the conduct of elections was vested by law in the Executive Bureau under the Department of Interior and, later directly by the same department. The secretary of interior saw to it that local authorities performed the ministerial duties assigned to them by the Election Code. He decided administrative questions concerning elections. The courts, however, exercised exclusive and final jurisdiction over questions affecting the right to vote as well as contested elections of local elective officials. Elections contests involving members of theNational Assembly were judged solely by an electoral commission composed of three justices of theSupreme Court and six members of the National Assembly.
In view, however, of the close official ties between thepresident and the secretary of interior, there was always the danger of a partisan secretary of the interior exploiting his powers and influence to ensure the victory of his party at the polls. As a consequence, the constitution was amended in 1940 to create an independent Commission on Elections, composed of a chairman and two other members, to take over the functions of the secretary of the interior relative to elections. But since the amendments could not be effective in time for the 1940 elections, the National Assembly, by Commonwealth Act No. 607, created a Commission on Elections, giving thereto the same powers which the Commission on Elections could have under the amended constitution. The statutory commission supervised the conduct of the December 10, 1940, local Philippine elections.
The constitutional amendment creating the Commission on Elections was finally approved on December 2, 1940. On June 21, 1941, Commonwealth Act No. 657 was enacted reorganizing the Commission on Elections as a constitutional entity. The members of the statutory commission continued as members of the constitutional commission.
The chairman and members of the commission had a fixed term of nine years each – a member being replaced every three years except in the first commission. They could be removed from office only byimpeachment. They were provided with fixed salaries which could neither be increased nor diminished during their term of office. These were safeguards to ensure the independence of the commission.
The administrative control of elections exercised by the secretary of interior was transferred to the Commission on Elections. The commission was vested with the exclusive charge of enforcing and administering all laws relative to elections and the power to decide all questions affecting elections, except those involving the right to vote, which were left to final judicial determination. The courts and electoral tribunals retained their original powers over election contests.
The 1973 Constitution enlarged the membership of the commission from three to nine members but reduced their terms of office from nine years to seven years. As in the 1935 Constitution, the chairman and commissioners had staggered terms of office and could be removed from office only by impeachment.
First to serve in the Commission on Elections under the 1973 Constitution were former SenatorLeonardo B. Perez, as chairman, and Venacio S. Duque, Flores A. Bayot, Jose M. Mendoza, Fernando R. Veloso, Lininding Pangandaman, Venancio L. Yaneza and Casimiro R. Madarang Jr. as commissioners. Commissioner Pangandaman, the first Muslim commissioner of theCOMELEC, was appointed ambassador by PresidentFerdinand Marcos even before the expiration of his term. His unexpired term was taken over by Commissioner Hashim R. Abubakar.
On May 17, 1980, Chairman Perez (who was later appointed minister of political affairs by President Marcos) and Commissioners Duque and Bayot, after completing their seven-year term, retired. Commissioner Santiago succeeded Perez, and the following were appointed commissioners: Domingo C. Pabalete; Victorino A. Savellano; Jaime C. Opinion; Noli Sagadraca; Romeo Firme: Luis Lardizabal and Ide C. Tillah. With Commissioner Lardizabal the membership of the commission was thus increased to eight, one short of the full complement of nine.
Upon the retirement of Commissioners Firme, Tillah and Lardizabal on May 17, 1983, the Commission on Elections was composed of only five members. On March 21, 1983, two new members were appointed by President Marcos, namely: Froilan Bacungan and Ramon H. Felipe Jr. With the retirement of Chairman Santiago and Commissioners Pabalete and Sagadraca on May 17, 1984, Savellano was appointed chairman. Three new members were appointed on July 27, 1985, namely: Commissioners Quirino A. Marquinez, Mangontawar Guro and Mario D. Ortiz. On January 31, 1986, Commissioners Ruben C. Agpalo and Jaime Layosa were appointed to finally complete the required membership of nine.
After the tumultuous February 7, 1986snap elections and thePeople Power Revolution, Chairman Savellano and all the commissioners of theCOMELEC tendered their courtesy resignations which, except those of Commissioners Bacungan and Felipe, were accepted by PresidentCorazon C. Aquino.
On April 11, 1986, Commissioner Felipe was appointed acting chairman. On July 23, 1986, he took his oath of office as permanent chairman, together with Commissioners Leopoldo Africa,Haydee Yorac, Andres Flores, Anacleto Badoy, and Dario Rama as members of the "new" Commission on Elections. On February 15, 1988,Hilario G. Davide Jr. was appointed chairman, with Alfredo E. Abueg Jr., Haydee B. Yorac, Leopoldo L. Africa, Andres R. Flores, Dario C. Rama and Magdara B. Dimaampao as commissioners. Commissioner Haydee B. Yorac was appointed as acting chairman when Hilario G. Davide Jr. was appointed chairman of the Presidential Fact Finding Commission in December 1989, pursuant to Administrative Order No. 146. On June 6, 1991Christian Monsod was appointed by President Aquino as chairman of the commission to serve the unexpired term of Davide.
When Monsod retired on February 15, 1995, PresidentFidel V. Ramos appointed Court of Appeals JusticeBernardo Pardo as chairman of the commission. Pardo's term was cut short when he was appointed by PresidentJoseph Estrada as associate justice of theSupreme Court in October 1998. CommissionerLuzviminda Tancangco was appointed acting chairman of the commission.
On January 11, 1999, President Estrada appointedSandiganbayan JusticeHarriet Demetriou as chairman of the commission. After the events ofJanuary 17 to 20, 2001 that led to the ouster and resignation of President Estrada from power, Demetriou tendered her courtesy resignation which was accepted by PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo.
On February 19, 2001, President Arroyo appointed JusticeAlfredo Benipayo as chairman of the commission. However, the Commission on Appointments did not confirm his appointment due to opposition of some commissioners led by Luzviminda Tancangco. On June 5, 2002, President Arroyo appointedMetropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman and formerMandaluyong mayorBenjamin S. Abalos Sr. to replace Benipayo. On January 26, 2008,Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed former Supreme Court associate justice Jose Melo, 77, to replace Chair Abalos.[5] TheUnited Opposition (UNO) opposed Melo's appointment.[6] However, Melo needed to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA), so Commissioner Romeo A. Brawner was appointed ad interim acting chairman on February 2, 2008, and stayed as chairman until Melo was confirmed by the CA. On March 25, 2008, former Supreme Court justice Jose Melo was sworn in as new chairman of theCOMELEC by acting chairRomeo A. Brawner. Melo's ad interim appointment (Congress was not in session) was sent by Malacañang to the Commission on Appointments.[7]
On May 29, 2008,Romeo A. Brawner died from a massiveheart attack. Brawner, appointed to theCOMELEC to replace thecontroversialVirgilio Garcillano, was supposed to end his term on February 2, 2011.[8]Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, on July 2, 2008, appointed former acting judge (Br. 74, RTC,Malabon) Leonardo Leonida and retired justice of the Court of Appeals Lucenito Tagle as commissioners of the Commission on Elections.[9][10] On November 7, 2008, PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed Armando Velasco as new election commissioner, and reappointed bypassed commissioners Leonardo L. Leonida and Lucenito N. Tagle.[11]Eduardo Ermita stated "Velasco replacedCOMELEC commissioner and former Iligan City Judge Moslemen Macarambon Jr. whose appointment had been bypassed several times by the Commission on Appointments (CA)."[12][13]
On September 27, 2007,Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico filed a 69-page impeachment complaint (3:00 p.m.) against COMELEC chairmanBenjamin Abalos Sr. before theHouse of Representatives of the Philippines regarding theZTE national broadband network (NBN) deal. It was endorsed by RepresentativesTeofisto Guingona III ofBukidnon andTeodoro Casiño ofBayan Muna (People First), andZamboanga City RepresentativeMa. Isabelle Climaco.Affidavits ofRomulo Neri andJose de Venecia III supported the complaint.[14][15] On October 1, 2007,COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. faced with an impending impeachment case, resigned in a press conference. The COMELEC appointedResurreccion Z. Borra as acting chairman. Abalos stated: "I'm resigning... effective immediately." "However," Abalos added during the news conference, "let not my detractors feast on this declaration. I'm not admitting guilt for any wrongdoing."[16][17] An impeachment complaint againstCOMELEC chairman Abalos was formally filed before the House of Representatives after Neri, former chief of theNational Economic Development Authority (NEDA), accused Abalos of attempting to bribe him.
The commission proper is the policy-making body composed of the chairman and six commissioners who must benatural-born citizens of the Philippines; at least thirty-five years of age at the time of their appointment; holders of a college degree, with a majority of them, including the chairman, members of the Philippine Bar who have been engaged in the practice of law for at least ten years; and must not have been a candidate for any elective position in the immediate preceding elections.[18] The chairman and the commissioners are appointed by the president, with the consent of theCommission on Appointments and hold office for seven years, without reappointment. Since 1987, the terms start and end on February 2. Among the first appointees in 1987, three members served for seven years (ended in 1994), two others served for five years (ended in 1992), and two others served for three years (ended in 1989).
The chairman acts as the presiding officer and chief executive officer of the commission. Assisting the commission are an executive director and deputies, 17 regional election directors, provincial election supervisors and election officers in cities and municipalities. TheCOMELEC has more than 15,000 employees.
The commissioners exercisequasi-legislative andquasi-judicial functions eitheren banc or in division. They also perform such other functions as may be assigned by the commission or the chairman.
| Position | Division | Picture | Name | Tenure started | Tenure scheduled to end | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | .jpg) | George Garcia | July 22, 2022 | February 2, 2029 | Bongbong Marcos | |
| Commissioner | 2nd |  | Nelson J. Celis | August 11, 2022 | ||
| Commissioner | 1st |  | Ernesto Ferdinand P. Maceda Jr. | October 6, 2022 | ||
| Commissioner | 1st |  | Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio | November 24, 2020 | February 2, 2027 | Rodrigo Duterte |
| Commissioner | 2nd |  | Rey E. Bulay | November 11, 2021 | ||
| Commissioner | 1st |  | Norina Tangaro-Casingal[19] | February 10, 2025 | February 2, 2032 | Bongbong Marcos |
| Commissioner | 2nd |  | Noli Pipo[20] |
During the 1935 constitution, the commission was composed of three members, with one chairman and two commissioners, each having nine-year terms with no reappointments. Among the first three members appointed, the first had a nine-year term, the second had a six-year term, and the last had a three-year term, all starting in the commission's reorganization on June 21, 1941, via Commonwealth Act No. 657.
Starting with the 1973 constitution, the commission was composed of nine members, with one chairman and eight commissioners, each having seven-year terms with no reappointments. Among the first nine members appointed, the first three had seven-year terms, the next three had five-year terms, and the last three had three-year terms, all starting in 1973. The commission never reached its full complement of nine members during the operation of the 1973 constitution until January 1986, a few weeks before thePeople Power Revolution.
| Image | Commissioner[21] | Term began | Term ended | Appointed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Jose C. Abreu | September 1, 1940 | October 11, 1944[a] | Manuel L. Quezon |
| Rufino Luna | September 1, 1940 | July 12, 1945 | |
 | Francisco Enage | July 12, 1945 | November 9, 1949 | Sergio Osmeña |
.png) | Vicente de Vera | July 12, 1945 | April 8, 1951 | |
 | Leopoldo Rovira | May 22, 1947 | September 10, 1954 | Manuel Roxas |
| Rodrigo Perez Jr. | December 8, 1949 | June 21, 1956 | |
| Gaudencio Garcia | May 18, 1955 | June 20, 1962[d] | Ramon Magsaysay |
 | Sixto Brillantes Sr. | December 20, 1956 | June 20, 1965 | |
 | Genaro Visarra | May 12, 1960 | November 10, 1962 | Carlos P. Garcia |
| Cesar Miraflor | November 11, 1962 | June 20, 1971 | Diosdado Macapagal |
 | Gregorio Santayana | June 26, 1965 | May 31, 1966 | |
 | Francisco Ortega | December 25, 1966 | March 20, 1967[a] | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Manuel Arranz | August 27, 1967 | June 2, 1969[d] | |
 | Jaime N. Ferrer | May 23, 1969 | May 28, 1973[d] | |
| Lino M. Patajo | June 16, 1969 | May 31, 1973 | |
| Jose M. Mendoza | September 6, 1971 | May 17, 1973 | |
| Lininding Pangandaman | May 29, 1973 | November 15, 1973[b] | |
| Flores A. Bayot | May 30, 1973 | May 17, 1980 | |
| Venancio R. Yaneza | May 30, 1973 | May 17, 1980 | |
| Casimiro R. Madarang Jr. | May 30, 1973 | May 17, 1980 | |
 | Fernando R. Veloso | May 30, 1973 | May 17, 1980 | |
| Venancio S. Duque | June 1, 1973 | May 17, 1980 | |
| Domingo C. Pabalate | May 17, 1978 | May 17, 1985 | |
| Vicente M. Santiago Jr. | May 17, 1978 | May 17, 1985 | |
| Victorino A. Savellano | May 17, 1980 | May 17, 1987 | |
| Jaime C. Opinion | May 17, 1980 | May 17, 1987 | |
| Noli M. Sagadraca | May 17, 1980 | May 17, 1985 | |
| Romeo N. Firme | May 17, 1980 | May 17, 1983 | |
| Ide C. Tillah | May 17, 1980 | May 17, 1983 | |
| Luis L. Lardizabal | May 17, 1980 | May 17, 1983 | |
| Froilan M. Bacungan | March 21, 1984 | May 17, 1990 | |
 | Ramon H. Felipe Jr. | March 21, 1984 | May 17, 1990 | |
| Mario D. Ortiz | July 30, 1985 | July 23, 1986[b] | |
| Mangontawar B. Guro | July 30, 1985 | April 11, 1986[b] | |
| Quirino A. Marquinez | August 1, 1985 | July 23, 1986 | |
| Ruben Agpalo | January 2, 1986 | July 23, 1986 | |
| Jaime J. Layosa | January 29, 1986 | July 23, 1986 | |
| Leopoldo L. Africa | June 14, 1986 | February 15, 1991[b] | Corazon Aquino |
| Haydee Yorac[e] | July 15, 1986 | February 11, 1993[b] | |
| Dario C. Rama | July 16, 1986 | February 15, 1993[b] | |
| Anacleto D. Badoy Jr. | July 16, 1986 | February 3, 1988 | |
| Andres R. Flores | July 17, 1986 | February 15, 1991 | |
| Tomas V. dela Cruz | December 11, 1986 | September 3, 1987 | |
| Alfredo E. Abueg Jr. | December 16, 1987 | January 20, 1992 | |
| Magdara B. Dimaampao | February 15, 1988 | February 15, 1995 | |
| Froilan M. Bacungan | February 15, 1988 | January 12, 1990 | |
 | Regalado Maambong | June 6, 1991 | February 15, 1998 | |
| Vicente B. de Lima | February 7, 1992 | November 4, 1994 | |
| Remedios S. Fernando | February 14, 1992 | February 14, 1998 | |
| Graduacion R. Claravall | April 12, 1993 | June 14, 1996 | Fidel V. Ramos |
| Manolo B. Gorospe | April 14, 1993 | February 14, 2000 | |
| Julio F. Desamito | January 3, 1995 | February 15, 2001 | |
| Teresita D. Flores | February 17, 1995 | February 15, 2001 | |
| Japal M. Guiani | March 29, 1996 | February 15, 2001 | |
| Amado M. Calderon | February 16, 1998 | June 30, 1998[b] | |
| Evalyn I. Fetalino | February 16, 1998 | June 30, 1998[b] | |
| Luzviminda Tancangco[e] | August 5, 1998 | February 2, 2004[b] | Joseph Estrada |
| Abdul Gani Marohombsar | September 7, 1998 | June 3, 1999[b] | |
| Ralph C. Lantion | January 6, 2000 | February 2, 2004 | |
| Rufino S. Javier | April 4, 2000 | February 2, 2006 | |
| Mehol K. Sadain | July 17, 2000 | February 2, 2006 | |
 | Resurreccion Borra[e] | February 15, 2001 | February 2, 2008 | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Florentino A. Tuason Jr. | February 20, 2001 | February 2, 2008 | |
| Virgilio Garcillano | February 12, 2004 | June 10, 2005[b] | |
| Manuel A. Barcellona Jr. | February 12, 2004 | June 10, 2005[b] | |
| Romeo A. Brawner Sr.[e] | September 18, 2005 | May 29, 2008[a] | |
 | Rene V. Sarmiento | April 7, 2006 | February 2, 2013 | |
| Nicodemo T. Ferrer | June 15, 2006 | February 2, 2011 | |
| Moslemen T. Macarambon | November 5, 2007 | October 10, 2008[b] | |
| Leonardo L. Leonida | July 2, 2008 | February 11, 2011[b] | |
| Lucenito N. Tagle | July 3, 2008 | February 2, 2011 | |
| Armando C. Velasco | July 3, 2008 | February 2, 2013 | |
| Elias R. Yusoph | July 24, 2009 | February 2, 2015 | |
| Gregorio Y. Larrazabal | October 15, 2009 | February 2, 2011 | |
| Christian Robert S. Lim | April 7, 2011 | February 2, 2018 | Benigno Aquino III |
| Augusto C. Lagman | June 3, 2011 | April 16, 2012[b] | |
| Grace Padaca | October 8, 2012 | June 11, 2014[b] | |
| Luie Tito F. Guia | April 15, 2013 | February 2, 2020 | |
| Al Parreño | April 15, 2013 | February 2, 2020 | |
| Arthur D. Lim | July 25, 2014 | February 2, 2018 | |
| Sheriff M. Abas | April 28, 2015 | May 23, 2018[d] | |
 | Rowena Guanzon | April 28, 2015 | February 2, 2022 | |
 | Antonio Kho Jr. | July 11, 2018 | February 2, 2022 | Rodrigo Duterte |
| George Garcia | March 8, 2022 | June 1, 2022[c] | |
.jpg) | Aimee Torrefranca-Neri | March 8, 2022 | June 1, 2022[c] | |
 | Socorro B. Inting | April 17, 2018 | February 2, 2025 | |
| Marlon S. Casquejo | June 19, 2018 | February 2, 2025 |
In August 2007, Nueva Vizcaya Rep.Carlos Padilla delivered a privilege speech alleging that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos brokered for the national broadband network (NBN) project. Padilla claimed that Abalos met with officials of the Chinese firmZTE Corp., which got the US$329 million contract for the broadband project.
Abalos denied brokering for the National Broadband Network project despite admitting he knew some officials in ZTE Corp. He admitted to making four trips to China and playing golf there. He also admitted that ZTE officials, who he said were his golf buddies, hosted and paid for the trips.
Jose de Venecia III, son of House SpeakerJose de Venecia Jr., alleged that Abalos offered him US$10 million to withdraw his proposal on the NBN project. De Venecia is a majority shareholder of Amsterdam Holdings Inc., a company that submitted an unsolicited proposal on the NBN project. De Venecia also claimed that Abalos asked for money from the ZTE Corp. officials.
Abalos was mentioned in the "Hello Garci" tape, which refers to the alleged wiretapped conversations where vote rigging in the 2004 elections was discussed by, among others, a woman presumed to be President Gloria Arroyo and a man presumed to beCOMELEC CommissionerVirgilio Garcillano.
Abalos was theCOMELEC chair when the election body approved a P1.3-billion contract with the Mega Pacific Consortium for the purchase of automated counting machines, which the Supreme Court in January 2004 declared as void because of "clear violation of law and jurisprudence" and "reckless disregard ofCOMELEC's own bidding rules and procedure."
On January 21, 2004, SenatorAquilino Pimentel Jr. filed criminal and administrative charges before theOmbudsman against Abalos and other commissioners in connection with the deal. Abalos described the charges as a "demolition job."
Pimentel accused Abalos and the other commissioners of committing an act of impropriety when they and their wives traveled to Seoul, South Korea to visit the plant of the maker of the counting machines a few months before the bidding for the contract started. Pimentel said he received information that the Korean company paid for the plane tickets and hotel accommodations for the trip.
However, Abalos claimed that the expenses for the trip were paid for out of the P1 million he won in a golf tournament inWack Wack Golf and Country Club.
On September 27, 2006, the Ombudsman, in a resolution, absolved all respondents involved in the Mega Pacific controversy of all administrative and criminal liabilities "for lack of probable cause." It also reversed its June 28 resolution which contained factual findings that can be used by the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings againstCOMELEC Commissioner Resureccion Borra.
Just six weeks before the2016 Philippine general election, theCOMELEC website was hacked by a group called "Anonymous Philippines" on the night of March 27, 2016.[22] Anonymous Philippines asked the poll body to implement security on Precinct Count Optical Scanners (PCOS)—automated voting machines.[23] Another group calling itselfLulzSec Pilipinas, claimed to have hackedCOMELEC's website, and posted its database on their Facebook account shortly afterAnonymous Philippines compromisedCOMELEC's website.[24][25] These exploits exposed voter data and the vulnerability of both voter registration data and the functionality of their website.[24] LulzSec posts 3 mirror links on their Facebook account that can be downloaded.[24] The incident was considered the biggest private leak data in the Philippine history and leaving millions of registered voters at risk.[26][27]
The sensitive information, which included the full name, complete address, and passport number of at least 55–70 million Filipino registered voters, was leaked publicly on a website calledwehaveyourdata, allegedly created by hackerLulzSec Philippines.[28][29] Anyone who had access to this website could type the first name, surname, and middle name of the compromised registered voters on the search bar provided and the sensitive information would be revealed.[30] The website was taken down by theNBI on April 22.[31] COMELEC spokesperson James Jimenez warned the public not to use the website, warning this could be aphishing site.[32] On April 21, COMELEC apologized for the privacy attacks by the hackers.[33]
On April 23, 2022, a few weeks before the2022 Philippine general election, COMELEC commissioner Rey Bulay threatened with arrest individuals who would publicly state that COMELEC was biased towards a certain candidate or might be involved in election fraud.[34]
“Iyon pong nagko-comment ng public opinion na ang Comelec ay may sina-side-an, may kinakampihan, at mandadaya, ako po ay nagwawarning sa inyo, we will not hesitate to call upon the AFP na sa panahong ito ay nasa ilalim ng control ng Comelec para patulan at ipahuli at ipakulong kayo,”[35]
“To those issuing public opinion that Comelec is biased or that it would cause election fraud, I am warning you that we would not hesitate to call upon the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is now under Comelec control, to round you up and have you jailed”
– Commissioner Rey Bulay said during a press briefing.[34]
The statement was made allegedly in support of a different statement by COMELEC Commissioner Socorro Inting who in turn was commenting on a statement released by supporters of then presidential candidate andVice-presidentLeni Robredo who called for COMELEC to remain nonpartisan for the sake of the elections. Commissioner Inting commented that it was simply unnecessary to call on the COMELEC to hold a “nonpartisan” election.[34] The commissioner also noted how such statements are liable to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the commission and by extension the elections themselves. Local news agencyRappler noted that it was unclear why Commissioner Inting took offense to this statement released by the supporters of Leni Robredo, which simply reminded the commission to hold fair and safe elections.[35]
Several lawmakers and concerned groups slammed the statement by the Comelec.[36][34] DetainedSenatorLeila de Lima called the threat by Commissioner Bulay "uncalled for and illegal".[36] She noted that theArmed Force of the Philippines are only allowed to arrest individuals during times of lawless violence while under orders from theCommander-in-Chief. She noted that while COMELEC has expansive powers during an election season, this "does not include the power to use the AFP in stifling criticisms and suppressing free speech”.[36] In a separate statement, House Assistant Minority Leader andparty-list Rep.France L. Castro called on COMELEC to withdraw its statement, calling the commission hypersensitive to criticisms thrown at it by the populace.[36] The representative stated that citizens are well within their rights to call for "orderly, peaceful and credible elections”.[36]
Following the backlash, Commissioner Bulay commented that his statement was only a warning, and that he was only reminding people to follow the law.[37]
Red-tagging has been used as a "weapon" against opposition candidates during election campaigns, according to media watchdogs and members of the political opposition. Red-tagging has also been used to divert public attention from economic hardships and extrajudicial killings attributed to incumbent candidates.[38][39]
During the2022 Philippine presidential election, the red-tagging of presidential candidateLeni Robredo by incumbent officials were frequently featured on theManila Times and theDaily Tribune, according to media observers.[40] A report by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights said that Robredo was the "prime target of intensified disinformation and red-tagging in social media leading up to election day." The report also said that candidates and elected representatives of theMakabayan bloc were also red-tagged.[41] Former Congress representative and senatorial candidateNeri Colmenares said that red-tagging increased during elections and targeted opposition candidates who protested the Philippine government's poor COVID pandemic response, the Anti-Terrorism Law, and the extrajudicial killing of activists. Colmenares said that candidates of theOtso Diretso senatorial slate were also red-tagged during the2019 election campaign, and that the red-tagging died down after the election.[42]
In February 2025, the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) issued Resolution No. 11116, which made red-tagging and discrimination during election campaigns offenses punishable with imprisonment of one to six years and disqualification from public office.[43] COMELEC ChairGeorge Erwin Garcia said that the policy is based on the Supreme Court ruling that defined red-tagging as an act that threatens individuals.[44]
In March 2025, during the campaign for the2025 Philippine general election, Bayan Muna party-list nominee Neri Colmenares filed a complaint urging COMELEC to investigate allegations of red-tagging and vilification constituting "massive and widespread black propaganda" and the destruction of campaign materials.[45]
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines stated that red-tagging was the most common election violation as of April 30, 2025, making up 78.7% of the election violations it had recorded.[46] "This level of systematic red-tagging is not only a violation of human rights, it's a coordinated effort to intimidate and discredit democratic actors," the group said in a statement.[47]The role of the Comelec was put into scrutiny in 2024 whenAlice Guo was elected as mayor ofBamban,Tarlac in the 2022 election. Guo is alleged to be a Chinese citizen in the Senate inquiry, consequentially putting the validity of her election as mayor. Comelec was questioned on why Guo's candidacy was not disputed at the time with the election body stating it cannot on its own ormotu proprio question the eligibility of candidates. Someone else has to file a formal petition.[48] Comelec opened its own investigation in July 2024.[49] Guo was removed from office by the Ombudsman over her links to illicit activities ofPhilippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).[50]
The same still applies for the 2025 election, even if Guo did sought reelection.[51][52] The controversy also led to the Comelec to decide to publish online all the certificates of candidacies of aspirants for the 2025 election.[53]
| General elections | |
|---|---|
| Presidential elections | |
| Senate elections | |
| House elections | |
| Constitutional conventions | |
| Local elections | |
| Barangay elections | |
| Referendums | |
Philippines articles | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History |
| ||||||
| Geography | |||||||
| Politics |
| ||||||
| Economy | |||||||
| Society |
| ||||||
.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)
