The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is studying how it can regulate election surveys which proliferate in the months before elections to prevent them from “influencing” voters’ decisions in choosing candidates.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said on Tuesday that while election surveys are not prohibited, it must comply with the requirements imposed by the Supreme Court (SC) in a ruling on the matter.
He said the commission will review the SC decision affirming the legality of surveys, to find out the extent by which the Comelec can regulate dubious surveys.
“The members of the Commission are now reviewing the decision of the SC to see if it is still applicable because to a certain extent it [surveys] has really influenced the people,” he said.
Garcia cited fake political surveys that proliferated on social media, which supposedly misled several public officials and candidates vying for positions in the 2025 elections.
The poll body also wants to know who commissioned the study, who paid for the survey, where the respondents came from, and whether the pollster complied with the scientific method required under the SC decision.
“So, for us, we’re determining if the Comelec should insist on regulating surveys, so voters won’t be influenced with their decision,” Garcia said.
He noted that the poll body will review the legality of preventing survey firms that have not complied with SC standards from releasing results.
Comelec’s move to regulate surveys comes amid fears that such studies can corrupt the democratic process by distorting the true sentiments of voters, which can have serious consequences, especially during election season.
As this developed, the Comelec and TikTok Philippines signed a memorandum of agreement to fight fake news and help facilitate transparent elections and digital integrity.
During the signing ceremony, Garcia said the poll body and the video-sharing platform would conduct several activities as part of its information dissemination.
TikTok, on the other hand, will enforce stricter content moderation policies to prevent the sharing of fake authoritative sources or fabricated crisis events, as well as the use of AI-generated content without proper labeling.
The platform also prohibits paid political promotions, and fundraising by politicians as it aims to foster a “positive environment for meaningful dialogue.”
TikTok and Comelec will also release a podcast episode on what to do during election day as it encouraged users to report content creators violating its community guidelines.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Comelec, TikTok ink pact vs. fake news.”
