By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Following a Supreme Court ruling that unpopularity and non-membership in a political party are insufficient grounds to declare an individual as a nuisance candidate, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia on Thursday advised financially-strapped candidates for the 2025 midterm polls to be creative enough in using social media for their campaign.
Garcia gave the advice as the poll body committed that no one vying for an elective position in the upcoming polls will be disqualified due to financial status.
“Maaaring nu’ng mga sinaunang pangangampanya, talagang kakailanganing puntahan mo ang bawat isla ng ating bansa, ang bawat munisipyo, at ang bawat siyudad. Sa kasalukuyan, dahil sa makabagong teknolohiya puwede na ang pangangampanya ay sa pamamagitan ng social media,” Garcia stated in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.
Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that being unpopular or not a member of a political party are insufficient grounds to declare an individual as a nuisance candidate.
“Hindi mo naman kailangan ng gano’n kadaming pera upang makapangamapanya sa pamamagitan ng social media, halimbawa. Basta ikaw ay magaling lamang at artistic, and at the same time medyo magaling kang gumawa ng mga ipo-post sa social media, pupuwede ka nang mangampanya,” Garcia quipped.
However, based on Comelec Rules of Procedure Part V, Rule 24, any candidate is identified to have no bona fide intention to run for public office if they put the election process in “mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates or who by other acts or circumstances.”
The Comelec said it will resolve cases involving nuisance candidates for the 2025 midterm elections by the end of November this year.
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