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Campaign Rules for 2019 Elections

Start of the Election Period:

For national candidates, or those running for senator and party list, the campaign
period is from February 12 to May 11.

For local candidates, from House representatives to city and municipal councilors, they
can campaign from March 29 to May 11.

Prohibited Campaign Days:

a) Maundy Thursday (April 18)

b) Good Friday (April 19)
c) the eve of election day (May 12)
d) on election day (May 13).
How much can bets spend during the campaign period?

1. Candidates who belong to a political party can spend Three Pesos (P3.00)
per registered voter covered by the elective position they are running for.

2. Independent bets can spend Five Pesos (P5.00) per voter.

3. Political parties and party-list groups can also spend Five Pesos (P5.00)
per voter.
Campaign materials allowed during the campaign period:

 Pamphlets, leaflets, cards, decals, stickers, or other written or printed

materials the size of which does NOT EXCEED (maximum width: 8 1/2
inches; maximum length: 14 inches);

 Handwritten or printed letters campaigning for or against a candidate/party

for public office;

 Posters made of cloth, paper, cardboard or any other material, whether

framed or posted with an area NOT EXCEEDING (maximum area: 2 feet
by 3 feet)

 Banners or streamers during public meetings or rallies which may only be

displayed Five (5) days before the date of the meeting or rally and shall be
Removed within Twenty four (24) hours after the said meeting or rally
(maximum area: 3 feet by 8 feet);

 Social media posts, whether original or reposted from some source, which
may be incidental to the poster's advocacies of social issues or which may
have for its primary purpose, the endorsement of a candidate only;

 Mobile units, vehicles, or motorcades of all types wheter engine or

manpower driven or animal drawn, with or without sound system or loud
speakers and with or without lights;

 Paid advertisements in broadcast, internet, mobile, print, or outdoor media;

 In the headquarters and residences of candidates, lawful election

paraphernalia my be displayed BUT banners or streamers shall not be
allowed;

“Audentes Fortuna Iuvat”

(Fortune Favors the Bold)

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Words which must be included in the campaign materials:

All forms of campaign ads must contain the following information in readable or audible
formats:

"Political advertisement paid for"

(Candidate's name, his/her address)

"Political advertisement paid by"

(Payor's name, his/her address)

Campaign ads donated or given free of charge must contain the information below. Free
or donated ads must have written acceptance of the candidate/party.

"Printed free of charge by"

(Donor's name, his/her/its address)

"Airtime for this broadcast was provided free of charge by"

(Donor's name, his/her/its address)

Airtime given to candidates:

National candidates and parties may air only a total of 120 minutes of TV ads
per station and 180 minutes of radio ads per station.

Local candidates may air only a total of 60 minutes of TV ads per station and 90
minutes of radio ads per station.

In ads with multiple candidates, each bet will share the airtime and campaign expenditure
based on their appearance on the ad.

Size of campaign ads in newspapers:

Each candidate or party can use up to 1/4 page in broadsheets and 1/2 page in
tabloids.

In ads with multiple candidates, the size limit applies to each individual/party and the
cost will be shared among them.

Print campaign ads can only be published up to 3 times a week per newspaper,
magazine, or publication.

New Comelec campaign rules in social media:

Candidates and parties must register with the Comelec Education and Information
Department the website name and the web address of their official social media
page or blog.

Other social media pages or blogs directly or indirectly maintained by the

candidate/party and are primarily endorsing a candidate will be considered additional
official blogs/pages of the candidate. In addition, paid social media associates or

“Audentes Fortuna Iuvat”

(Fortune Favors the Bold)

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influencers are now considered contractors, and must report to Comelec the
payments they received for posts campaigning for or against a candidate.

Poster Areas:

Parties and independent candidates, at their expense, can install common poster areas,
with the approval of the local Comelec office.

One common poster area can be placed per 5,000 registered voters in a barangay.

 The maximum dimensions of poster areas for political parties are 12

feet by 16 feet (or an area of 192 square feet).

 For independent candidates, the size limit is 4 feet by 6 feet (or an area
of 24 square feet).

Tthe law allows campaign materials to be posted on private properties, but with the
consent of the property owners. The candidate can approach the owner of the private
residence and ask for permission to put on his posters. If consent is given, then the
posters should not be considered as “misplaced” even if they are not in Comelec’s
common poster area.

Again it is very important to qualify, that if the poster is from or at the expense of a
candidate, then it has to comply with the 2x3-feet limitation even if posted in a private
property and even if the private owner consents.

If the poster is at the expense of the private person, at his own instance and without
collusion with any candidate, the Supreme Court ruled in The Diocese of Bacolod v.
COMELEC (GR Number 205728, January 21, 2015) that the private person or entity is
not covered by the size limitation.

In the Diocese of Bacolod case, the Supreme Court ruled that Comelec can only
regulate expressions of candidates, political parties, and franchise holders. The poll body
has no legal basis to regulate posters made as legitimate expression of support by
private citizens.

How can Campaign ads be PWD-friendly and gender-sensitive:

Sign language interpreters and closed captioning in campaign ads on TV and the
Internet are now required.

The candidates are encouraged to make printed campaign materials available in

Braille.

Prohibited Campaign Materials during the campaign period:

 To print, publish, post or distribute any newspaper, newsletter, newsweekly,

gazette or magazine advertising, pamphlet, leaflet, card, decal, bumper sticker,
poster, comic book, circular, handbill, streamer, sample list of candidates or any
published or printed Political matter and to air or broadcast any election
propaganda or political advertisement by television or radio for or against a
candidate or group of candidates to any public office, unless they bear and be
identified by the reasonably legible or audible words “political advertisement paid
for”, followed by the true and correct name and address of of the candidate or or
party for whose benefit the election propaganda was printed or aired. It shall be

“Audentes Fortuna Iuvat”

(Fortune Favors the Bold)

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likewise be unlawful to publish, print of distribute said campaign materials unless

they bear and are identified by the reasonably legible, or audible words “Political
advertisement paid by”, followed by the true and correct name and address of the
payor;

 To print, publish, broadcast, display or exhibit any such election propaganda

donated or given free of charge by any person or publishing firm or broadcast
media entity to a candidate or party without the Written acceptance of the said
candidate or party and unless they bear and be identified by the words “Printed
Free of Charge” or “Airtime for this broadcast was provided free of charge by”,
respectively followed by the true and correct name and address of the said
publishing firm or broadcast entity;

 To show, display, exhibit publicly in a theatre , through a television station, video

sharing site, social media network or any public forum any movie,
cinematography, documentary, including concert, or any type of performance
potraying the life or biography of the candidate in which the character is portrayed
by an actor or media personality who is himself or herself a candidate;

 For any newspaper or publication, radio, television or cable television station, or

other mass media entity or any person making use of the mass media to sell or
give free of charge print or advertising space or airtime for campaign or election
propaganda purposes to any candidate or party in excess of the size, duration or
frequency authorized by law or the rules;
 For any radio, television, cable television station, announcer or broadcaster to
allow the scheduling of programs or permit any sponsors to manifestly favor or
oppose any candidate or party unduly or repeatedly referring to or unnecessarily
mentioning his name, including therein said candidate or party;

 To post, display or exhibit any election campaign or propaganda material outside

of authorized common poster areas, in public places or in private properties
without the consent of the owner thereof; and

 To print, publish, post, show, display, distribute any election campaign or

propaganda materials that violates gender sensitivity, obscene or offensive or
constitutes violation of the Magna Carta of Women;
Prohibited Places for Campaign Materials:

There should be no campaign ads in these places:

 Publicly-owned LED or LCD screens along highways and streets or on walls of

public buildings, and other similar devices owned by the national or local
government units, government-owned and controlled corporations or any agency
or instrumentality of the Government;

 Motor vehicles used as Patrol cars, ambulances, or other motor vehicles owned
by local government units, government-owned and controlled corporations or any
agency or instrumentality of the Government particularly those bearing
Government license plates;

 Public transport vehicles owned and controlled by government, such as the MRT,
LRT, and PNR and the like;

 Waiting sheds, sidewalks, street and lamp posts, electric posts and wires, traffic
signs, and others on public property, pedestrisan overpasses and underpasses,
flyovers and ubderpasses, brifges, main thoroughfares, center islands of roads
and highways;

 Schools, public shrines, barangay halls, government offices, health centers, and
other public structures and buildings or any edifice thereof; and
“Audentes Fortuna Iuvat”

(Fortune Favors the Bold)

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 Within the premises of public transport terminals owned and controlled by

government such as bus terminals, airports, seaports, docks, piers, train station
and the like;

“Audentes Fortuna Iuvat”

(Fortune Favors the Bold)