Comelec warns vs. 'fake news' of voter registration fee

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued an advisory against a social media post circulating online which falsely states that money will be charged to those who seek to register as voters.

In a "fake news alert" on Friday evening, the poll body denied that it now charges a P3,000-fee for each voter registration, as claimed by a bogus social media announcement.

"Ang Facebook post na kumakalat ukol sa pagbabayad ng halagang 3,000 PHP para makapagparehistro bilang botante ay HINDI TOTOO at HINDI GALING sa tanggapan ng Commission on Elections," the poll body said.

(The Facebook post spreading online about paying P3,000 to be able to register as a voter is not true and is not from the office of the Commission on Elections.)

The Comelec added that the same misleading content was not posted in its official and verified social media channels on any platform.

A total of 2.8 million Filipinos registered for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) during Comelec's 10-day voter registration drive.

It kicked off on August 1, or nearly two weeks before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act (RA) 12232, which postponed the polls from October 2025 to November 2026.

The new law sets the term of office of all elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials to four years. 

Comelec Chairman George Garcia had said voter registration for the BSKE would resume in October this year.

Also in its advisory, the Comelec insisted that it would never charge any fees to register as voters in any election.

"Ang pagpaparehistro bilang botante ay isang karapatang ginarantiya ng ating Konstitusyon sa mga kwalipikadong Pilipino at walang anumang klase ng bayad ang kailangan para rito," the Comelec said.

(Registration as a voter is a constitutionally guaranteed right for qualified Filipinos. No fees whatsoever are required for this.)

The poll body warned the public to refrain from clicking on suspicious links, and sharing these to others online. 

The public was advised to seek information on Comelec's official website (www.comelec.gov.ph) and its social media accounts. — VDV, GMA Integrated News