QUIAPO, Manila—COMELEC announced plans to impose new rule for candidates to use photos taken within six months before announcing their candidacies on Friday, June 7.
Starting next election, if approve, candidates will need to submit recent photos for their campaign posters.
COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia stressed the importance of the new rule in a statement made on Friday.
“Non-compliance will merit the declaration that these are illegal campaign materials. This comes with appropriate sanctions against the candidate[s],” Garcia explained.
He also clarified that this rule is separate and does not apply to the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) which still need passport-size photos.
The campaign for candidates running as Senators and running party-lists is set from February 11 to May 10, 2025, which is 90 days before the election.
Meanwhile, local candidates will campaign from March 28 to May 10, 2025.
Filing of COCs is scheduled from October 1 to 8, 2024, which means if approved, photos to be submitted must be taken in April onwards.
In a related move, Garcia proposed creating a committee to promote environmental sustainability during the campaign period.
“This committee shall also be guided by the current environmental laws, rules, and regulations as well as the current best practices in terms of environmental sustainability in elections and the recommendations of environmental groups and election stakeholders,” he said.
Garcia said that the committee will hold public consultations and draft policy guidelines on this matter and shall be approve by Commision en banc.
“This initiative aims to ensure that the campaign period will be environment-friendly,” Garcia added.
Candidates and political parties are urged to comply with these new rules to promote a transparent and environmentally friendly election process.
COMELEC hopes to improve elections by requiring recent photos and promoting eco-friendly campaigns.