WHILE looking to tighten its rules on celebrity endorsers and use of social media influencers, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said it will exclude families and relatives of candidates in the May 2025 polls.
In a media forum in Manila, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the poll body will not consider relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity and affinity as paid endorsers of candidates.
“The presumption will not be applicable to family of up to second degree of consanguinity and affinity. For example, if the (celebrity) father endorsed the candidate, there won’t be a presumption of him getting paid,” Garcia said.
Included up to the second civil degree of consanguinity are parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.
On the other hand, the Comelec said parents-in-law, siblings-in-law, grandparents-in-law, and grandchildren-in-law are within the second civil degree of affinity.
The Comelec has earlier said it is looking at ways to hold accountable celebrity endorsers and social media influencers, as well as the candidates and party-list organizations, for their campaign activities.
One way to do this is by presuming that anyone who endorses a particular candidate is paid either by the candidate or his/her political party.
Garcia said putting in place the presumption will help put an end to the perennial excuse of candidates that the celebrity or social media influencers endorsements are provided for free and as donations to the campaign.
“This way, even if they say it’s for free, then they should put an amount equivalent to that donation in their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE),” said Garcia.
If candidates fail to declare how much they paid for the endorsements, Garcia said this can be considered as an election offense.
“If they don’t report it, it’s considered as an election offense and can be a ground to disqualify a candidate,” he said.
As for the celebrity or social media influencers, Garcia said it will be up to them to deal with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
“We are not after the celebrities and influencers. It’s the candidates we are after. If they (celebrities) are presumed to be paid, they can just explain before the BIR,” he said.