MANILA – The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) has decided to delay the enforcement of new regulations concerning election surveys for the upcoming May 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).
Commissioner Rey Bulay announced that the implementation of Comelec Resolution No. 11117 has been put on hold to allow for further review and potential incorporation of feedback from various stakeholders. The resolution, which was released last week, mandates that all survey companies must register and provide detailed reports of their planned election surveys.
Following a meeting with several survey firms, Bulay stated, ‘We have paused its implementation. We approved it, but it is open to amendments based on the feedback we received today.’
He emphasized that the resolution reflects the Commission’s views on survey firms, which would be adjusted according to the input from these firms. During the discussions, survey companies expressed concerns about certain aspects of the guidelines, such as the mandatory pre-registration and the scope of required reports.
They also advocated for the elimination of penalties, which could include fines, suspension, or legal action for non-compliance. The head of the Comelec Task Force on the Regulation and Enforcement of Survey Practices for Election Credibility and Transparency (RESPECT) confirmed that these suggestions would be taken into account.
Bulay expressed optimism about finalizing the resolution within two weeks, stating, ‘With hope, in two weeks, we might finalize this. We can then release an updated resolution that is more practical.’
Representatives from various survey organizations, including Pulse Asia Research, Publicus Asia, Ibon Foundation, Social Weather Station, OCTA Research, and Tangere/Acquisition Apps, attended the meeting.
In other news, Comelec reported that senatorial candidates and party-list groups have complied with requests to remove unauthorized campaign materials after receiving notices from the election body.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia praised the candidates for their prompt action in removing illegal campaign materials upon notification. He specifically mentioned the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), where all senatorial candidates received notices and subsequently cleared the area of such materials.
Garcia had previously cautioned that failure to comply with the removal of illegal campaign materials could lead to election offense charges and potential disqualification of candidates.