Official @comelec Twitter account goes live

@COMELEC is now the Philippine Commission on Elections' official Twitter handle.

 

After four years in the hands of a "cybersquatter", the handle is now in the hands of the Commission —which wasted no time using it to field reports of campaign violations.

 

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. announced this Monday, after getting a confirmation from Twitter's support team over the weekend.

 

I am proud to announce that Twitter officially awarded to COMELEC-Philippines the handle @comelec

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 11, 2013

The award of the handle/username @comelec was confirmed through an e-mail sent by Twitter's support team last Feb 10, 2013, 10:28 am.

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 11, 2013

 

Brillantes explained that the @COMELEC hashtag had been in the ownership of an unaffiliated party for the past four years:

 

@attykarenjimeno Thank you! Someone has been squatting on the handle @comelec since 2009 & we were forced to use "COMELECTV".

— Sixto Brillantes Jr. (@ChairBrillantes) February 11, 2013

 

On Monday afternoon, Brillantes urged the public to report improper campaigning by senatorial and party-list bets using the @COMELEC hashtag.

 

"If you are still seeing billboards, oversized & misplaced posters of senatorial candidates & party-list now, pls tweet @COMELEC," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Brillantes reminded senatorial and party-list bets that their ads on buses and product placements should "be removed before midnight" of Monday.

 

He added the names of senatorial and party-list candidates on government buildings or structures, cars and properties "SHOULD also be removed BEFORE midnight tonight."

 

Similarly, he said these candidates should remove all oversized and misplaced campaign propaganda before midnight Monday.

 

Brillantes added the Comelec will make the rounds on Tuesday to check the compliance of candidates with campaign rules.

 

"Huwag na hintaying mapahiya sa taong-bayan o mas masama makasuhan pa. Bukas mag-iikot ang COMELEC para i-check ang pagsunod ng mga pulitiko," he said. Tweets by @COMELEC  

— TJD, GMA News