‘Celebrities, influencers can endorse relatives in 2025 polls’
Credit to Author: Mayen Jaymalin| Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Celebrities and social media influencers may freely endorse a family member or relative running in the May 2025 midterm elections, according to the Commission on Elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said that their regulation presuming celebrity and influencer endorsements as paid does not apply if they are endorsing a relative up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.
Speaking at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, Garcia mentioned that the exemption is included in the resolution that the commission will release to regulate social media campaigns.
Under the second civil degree of consanguinity, covered relatives include parents, children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren. Meanwhile, parents-in-law, siblings-in-law, grandparents-in-law and grandchildren-in-law fall under the second civil degree of affinity.
However, Garcia stressed that candidates must report in their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) any payments made for the endorsements of celebrities and influencers not covered by the exemption.
Failure to report such expenses in the SOCE is tantamount to an election offense and could be grounds for disqualification.
“They must declare the amount, even if they claim it was free, because it still has an equivalent value,” he added.
Politicians, especially those who belong to the same political party, are also presumed to be endorsing another candidate for free.
Candidates are required by law to include in their SOCE the individuals or firms they have contracted for campaigning.
Failure to file their SOCEs may result in administrative offenses, with fines ranging from P1,000 to P30,000, as determined by the Comelec, excluding barangay-level aspirants.
For winning candidates or political parties, failure to comply may also result in the withholding of their assumption of office.
Meanwhile, to hasten the verification of the official ballots for the 2025 polls, Garcia said that the Quezon City local government has granted exclusive and free use of Amoranto Stadium for the ballot verification.
“We were entrusted with Amoranto Stadium because there is no more space at the National Printing Office due to the small size of their building,” Garcia said.
“In order to conduct additional verification, we will need more ample space,” he added.