Comelec mulls changing campaign rules in Eleksyon 2022 due to COVID-19

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to modify the campaign rules and regulations for the 2022 national and local elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Comelec commissioner said Friday.

In its first media conference for the 2022 national and local elections, Comelec commissioner Aimee Ferolino-Ampoloquio said the existing guidelines for the campaigns are still for the face-to-face set up.

“We are studying the possibility of modifying our rules on campaign since we have a pandemic. We will see if we can do that as we progress,” she said.

Ferolino-Ampoloquio said they are taking into consideration the concepts adopted during the election campaigns in other countries, as well as the cases of COVID-19 in the country.

“If it is not advisable for the candidates to go on face to face campaign, I think we may limit or introduce some other forms of campaign that the candidates can adopt,” she said.

Moreover, the Comelec assured that there will be presidential debates for the 2022 national and local elections.

But the poll body has yet to discuss whether they will hold it virtually, physically, or through a hybrid set-up.

“Definitely there will be a presidential debate, but then again the question is: will it be a face to face or virtual?” Comelec commissioner Marlon Casquejo said in the same briefing.

The Comelec official said the presidential debates will be one of the topics to be discussed in their conference on Monday.

Candidates for national and local positions can file their certificates of candidacy from October 1 to 8, 2021.

The poll body said it is eyeing setting specific dates for the filing of the certificates of candidacy per elective position.—AOL, GMA News