The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded showbiz personalities not to use their platforms to endorse political candidates because this could be considered as “donated advertising time.”
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said only candidates, and not their celebrity endorsers, should take a leave from their shows or programs.
“Under election laws, candidates who have programs should take a leave from their programs. We do not refer to endorsers but again it’s good practice to not use their platforms to campaign because it will become an issue in terms of using these platforms for campaign purposes,” Jimenez said.
Meanwhile, the Comelec said it is strictly implementing campaign regulations, including those on social media.
“The fact that these regulations are imperfect should not be taken as a signal by the people or by the concerned individuals to take them lightly. So we will be enforcing the rules and we will be fighting for their implementation throughout the entire campaign,” the poll spokesman said.
He added that mechanisms have been set in place for candidates to report their spending on the use of social media during the campaign.
The 90-day campaign period for national posts started on February 8.