The Rise of Social Media Influencers in Philippine Elections: Comelec Eyes Regulation and Taxation

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Gone are the days when only celebrities, athletes, religious leaders, and business moguls were the go-to endorsers of political candidates. In today’s digital age, politicians are now tapping into the power of social media influencers to amplify their campaigns. Recognizing this shift, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set its sights on regulating and scrutinizing campaign expenditures involving these digital personalities.

The Growing Influence of Social Media in Political Campaigns

Over the past decade, social media has evolved into a powerful tool for political campaigns. From paid advertisements to organic content, politicians have learned to leverage digital platforms to reach voters. In 2019, Comelec introduced new guidelines requiring candidates to declare their spending on social media ads and sponsored posts. These rules applied to both direct campaign materials and content created by influencers, regardless of whether they were in favor of or against a candidate. (Rappler)

Comelec’s Plan to Regulate and Tax Influencers

In July 2024, Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced the commission’s intent to collaborate with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to impose taxes on social media influencers who profit from endorsing political candidates. Garcia stated, “We want to tie up with BIR so that influencers will be properly taxed.” This initiative aims to ensure that influencers, like other campaign service providers, are held accountable for their earnings. (Philstar Life)

Beyond taxation, Comelec is also looking into setting regulations for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media in campaigns. The goal is to prevent potential abuses, such as misinformation and deepfake content, which could manipulate public perception. Furthermore, Comelec seeks to work closely with major social media platforms to enforce these new policies. (Malaya)

Challenges in Regulating Social Media Campaigns

While Comelec has already taken steps to regulate social media usage in elections, enforcing these rules remains a challenge. In 2019, the commission announced that it would monitor social media influencers engaged in political campaigns. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez emphasized that “social media associates,” including paid influencers and digital campaigners, must submit reports detailing their earnings and the nature of their services, such as creating content for or against a candidate. (Rappler)

However, tracking these transactions remains complex, given the informal and sometimes undisclosed nature of influencer partnerships. With the rise of influencer marketing, many digital personalities receive compensation in the form of cash, gifts, or sponsorship deals, making it difficult to monitor actual spending.

Addressing the Rapid Evolution of Political Campaigns

As technology continues to shape the way elections are conducted, Comelec is adapting its policies to ensure fair and transparent electoral practices. The commission’s latest efforts aim to strike a balance between embracing digital advancements and preventing their misuse in the political landscape.

The rise of social media influencers in political campaigns introduces new challenges in regulation and taxation. As Comelec works towards a more structured and transparent approach, voters must remain vigilant and discerning, especially in an era where digital content can easily influence public opinion. Will these regulatory efforts be enough to maintain the integrity of elections, or will politicians and influencers find new ways to bypass them? The 2025 elections may serve as a critical test for the future of digital campaigning in the Philippines.

Recommendations for Lawmakers on Social Media Accountability and Digital Well-being

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Th upe Digital Battlefield—A Call for Urgent Action

In today’s hyperconnected world, social media is more than just a platform—it’s a battlefield for truth, identity, and mental well-being. Every second, billions of posts flood our screens, shaping public opinion, influencing elections, and even endangering lives. Yet, behind the seemingly harmless scroll lies an unchecked digital landscape, where misinformation spreads like wildfire, cyberbullying ruins lives, and tech giants operate with minimal accountability.

In light of the upcoming House Committee Inquiry on Social Media Accountability and Digital Well-being, these recommendations provide a balanced approach to legislation that promotes online safety, authenticity, and responsible digital engagement while respecting free speech and innovation.

1. Enhancing Social Media Accountability

A. Stronger Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Measures

Amend the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173)

Require social media platforms to store Philippine user data within the country to prevent data breaches and foreign interference.

Mandate social media companies to report cybersecurity incidents within 24-48 hours to the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

Mandatory Cybersecurity Audits

Require annual security audits for social media platforms to assess data protection measures and prevent cybercrimes.

Establish penalties for platforms that fail to safeguard user data, similar to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

B. Local Registration for Social Media Platforms

Require foreign social media companies to register a legal entity in the Philippines under DICT regulations, ensuring compliance with local laws.

Implement a tax structure for digital platforms, with a portion allocated to government programs on cybersecurity, digital literacy, and cybercrime prevention.

C. Ethical Standards for Social Media Influencers and Content Creators

Establish a National Digital Content Regulatory Board under MTRCB and DICT to oversee content creators, vloggers, and influencers.

Require all influencers with more than 100,000 followers to register under this board for accountability.

Implement disclosure guidelines for sponsored content, especially political and advocacy-related materials, similar to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines in the U.S.

2. Ensuring Authenticity in Digital Communications

A. Strengthening RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012)

Expand legal coverage to include:

Doxxing (publishing private information without consent).

AI-generated disinformation (deepfake videos, manipulated content).

Online gender-based violence (harassment, stalking, cyber sexual abuse).

Improve Enforcement

Create a National Cybercrime Reporting System (similar to the US Cyber Tipline) where users can directly report cybercrimes to the DICT and NBI.

Strengthen coordination between the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) and DOJ Cybercrime Office to ensure faster investigation and response.

B. Mandatory Digital Literacy Education

Integrate Digital Literacy into K-12 & Higher Education

Implement "Digital Ethics & Media Literacy" subjects in schools under DepEd and CHED, covering topics like:

Identifying misinformation & fake news.

Cybersecurity & safe digital practices.

Responsible online communication & civic engagement.

Require Digital Ethics Training for Government Employees & Corporations

Government employees and private sector workers should undergo annual cybersecurity & digital ethics training to prevent data leaks, cybercrimes, and online abuse.

C. Stricter Regulations on Deepfake & AI-Generated Content

Mandatory AI-Generated Content Labeling

Require explicit watermarking on AI-generated images, videos, and audio to prevent manipulation and deception in political campaigns and social discourse.

Ban the Unauthorized Use of AI for Political Propaganda

Prohibit the use of AI-generated deepfake videos for political campaigns, fraud, and character defamation.

D. Mandatory Public Disclosures for Political & Sponsored Content

Require social media platforms and influencers to disclose all political advertising and sponsorships in a public database.

Implement clear labeling for all paid political ads and endorsements to combat misinformation and manipulative narratives.

3. Advancing Digital Well-Being

A. Mental Health Safeguards in Social Media Use

Require social media platforms to implement mental health warnings

Introduce "Time Limits & Digital Well-being Alerts" for excessive usage.

Provide in-app mental health resources & crisis hotline links for users experiencing online abuse.

Stronger Measures Against Cyberbullying & Harassment

Establish a fast-track system for removing online harassment content, especially for minors.

Implement stricter penalties for repeated offenders engaging in cyberbullying.

B. Safe Digital Spaces for Minors

Introduce Online Age Verification & Child Protection Mechanisms

Require stricter parental controls & identity verification for users under 18.

Ban the monetization of exploitative child content in family vlogs & streaming platforms.

Stronger School-Based Cyber Protection Programs

Require schools to monitor and address cyberbullying cases proactively through DICT & DepEd partnerships.

Develop an anonymous reporting system for students facing online harassment.

4. Legislative & Policy Actions

A. Creation of a National Digital Rights & Responsibility Act

Introduce a comprehensive law defining the rights and responsibilities of digital citizens, including:

Freedom from cyber harassment & misinformation

Right to digital privacy & fair online treatment

Legal accountability for misuse of social media platforms

B. Support for Independent Fact-Checking Organizations

Provide government-backed grants for independent fact-checking organizations, like Vera Files and Rappler’s Fact-Check Initiative, to strengthen the fight against disinformation.

Require social media platforms to work with accredited fact-checkers for misinformation moderation.

C. Whistleblower Protection for Social Media Moderators & Content Monitors

Establish legal protections for employees of tech companies who expose unethical content moderation practices or internal corruption.

Enforce accountability measures on social media executives who allow the unchecked spread of misinformation and harmful content.

D. Stronger Government-Media-Platform Collaboration

Require regular consultations between Congress, media organizations, and social media platforms to assess digital threats and misinformation trends.

Implement a quarterly reporting system for tech companies, requiring transparency on content moderation policies and cybersecurity measures.

These recommendations present a balanced, enforceable, and future-proof legislative approach to addressing digital accountability, misinformation, and online safety. Lawmakers, regulatory bodies, and private stakeholders must work together to create a digital environment that prioritizes transparency, ethics, and public well-being.

A Digital Future Worth Fighting For

The stakes have never been higher. Our democracy, personal privacy, and mental well-being are under siege in the digital age. Without decisive action, we risk a future where deepfakes rewrite history, cybercriminals roam unchecked, and the Filipino people remain voiceless in the algorithms that dictate their reality.

But the future is not yet written. We stand at a crossroads—where lawmakers, industry leaders, and citizens must choose between complacency and action, regulation and chaos, accountability and anarchy.

This is more than a policy debate; it is a fight for truth over deception, safety over exploitation, and responsibility over profit. The time for half-measures is over. The Philippines must lead by example, proving that a free and open digital world can also be a safe and ethical one.

The battle begins now. The question is: Will we win it?

The Hunters and the Hunted: The Battle to Save the Philippine Warty Pig

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In the dense, mist-shrouded forests of Leyte, Ed Permangil spent three decades mastering the art of the hunt. As a young man, hunger drove him to set crude yet effective snare traps deep in the jungle. “Whenever I had no money for food, I used to set traps like this,” he explains, demonstrating how a spring-loaded device could entangle a pig’s leg, leaving it helpless for days. “Snared pigs can last up to a week before dying of dehydration. We slaughter, gut, and chop them right in the jungle—bringing down only the meat.”

Ed was one of countless baboy damo (wild pig) hunters who relied on this trade, selling lean, gamey pork for as much as PHP700 per kilo. Over the years, he estimates that he has caught nearly a thousand wild pigs.

But Ed’s story is not just one of survival—it is also a tale of transformation.

A Vanishing Icon of the Philippine Wilderness

The Philippines is home to five species of wild pigs, all of which are now in danger of extinction:

Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis) – Vulnerable

Oliver’s Warty Pig (S. oliveri) – Vulnerable

Palawan Bearded Pig (S. ahoenobarbus) – Near Threatened

Visayan Warty Pig (S. cebifrons) – Critically Endangered

Bearded Pig (S. barbatus) – Vulnerable (found in Tawi-Tawi, as well as Indonesia and Malaysia)

Centuries of hunting, deforestation, and hybridization with domestic pigs have devastated their numbers. One of the biggest threats? The illegal bushmeat trade, which still thrives in parts of the country.

Snuffling for snacks. Wild pigs have a highly developed sense of smell and can find food buried deep beneath the soil. A pig’s sense of smell is over 2000 better than ours.

“Ping Pong” Pig Bombs and Other Hunting Methods

While some hunters, like Ed, relied on traditional traps, others turned to more gruesome methods. Iñigo Orias, a former hunter, once preferred using explosives. “This is a type of pig-killing bomb called a pong because it looks like a ping-pong ball,” he says, showing off three gleaming silver spheres.

Each pong contained a deadly mixture of gunpowder, match heads, and ceramic shrapnel, all dipped in wax for waterproofing. Hunters would wrap the explosives in rotting bait, such as water buffalo hide, and wait for an unsuspecting pig to take a bite. “When the pig bites, the primer ignites—and its head explodes.”

For many hunters, the risk of being mistaken for rebel combatants by the military made carrying firearms dangerous. This led to a rise in passive hunting methods like snares, poisoned bait, and explosives—all of which continue to harm the country’s fragile ecosystems.

Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis) at a holding facility in Luzon. Hunted for thousands of years and now classified by the IUCN as Vulnerable, it has become so rare that when an old boar was spotted on Mt. Apo in April 2022, it made headlines. This young male has yet to grow distinctive tusks and facial hair. (

The Philippine Warty Pig (Sus philippensis) is the most widely distributed of the country’s five wild pig species. Sporting stylish mohawks, nifty bangs, cool beards and facial warts, ‘Baboy Damo’ have been pushed deep into the country’s forests due to a combination of hunting, habitat loss and diseases such as African Swine Fever. Accidental crossbreeding with domestic pigs is also a major threat. 

The Law vs. The Hunt: Can We Save the Baboy Damo?

Under Republic Act No. 9147, also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, hunting native wildlife is strictly prohibited. “Anyone found guilty of killing a threatened species may face fines of PHP20,000 to PHP1,000,000 and/or one to 12 years in jail,” explains wildlife researcher Emerson Sy.

Despite these laws, illegal hunting persists, fueled by high demand for wild meat. Baboy damo is still openly sold in some online forums, despite crackdowns by authorities.

From Hunters to Guardians of the Forest

The story of Ed Permangil and Iñigo Orias, however, takes a hopeful turn.

In 2019, Ed hung up his traps and became a Barangay Forest Protection Brigade patrolman under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). His mission? To stop others from making the same mistakes he did.

Similarly, Iñigo now works to educate communities about the importance of conservation. “I spent years hunting these pigs,” he admits. “Now, I spend my days trying to protect them.”

A New Hope for the Baboy Damo

Efforts to save the Philippine Warty Pig are gaining momentum. Organizations like the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) have included the species in their BINHI Flagship Species Initiative (FSI), alongside other endangered creatures like the Visayan Hornbill and the Giant Golden-Crowned Flying Fox.

“Wild pigs play a critical role in our ecosystems,” says Atty. Theresa Tenazas, former DENR Wildlife Resources Division Chief. “They help regenerate forests by aerating the soil and dispersing seeds. Instead of seeing them as pests, we need to recognize their value.”

Nelmar Aguilar, EDC’s Watershed Management Officer for Leyte, agrees: “Beyond sustainable development, we need regenerative development—a way to protect not just the environment, but also the people who depend on it.”

Retired trapper Ed Permangil shows author Gregg Yan how a snare trap is set up. The crude contraptions are pressure-activated and can swiftly entangle the leg of an unsuspecting pig, deer or monitor lizard.

Jungle signpost. A boar skull, its teeth and tusks yanked off to make lucky charms, is lashed to a wooden post in Leyte. Generations of hunters have hunted wild pigs, deer and other types of endangered Philippine wildlife – most of which are now protected by Republic Act 9147 or the Philippine Wildlife Act.

Retired hunter Iñigo Orias shows off three live ‘ping-pong’ or pig-killing bombs. “When a wild pig bites this bomb, the primer ignites and the pig’s head explodes,” he explains. The homemade shotgun is rarely used, as hunters are wary of being tagged as Communist rebel combatants. 

Tools of the trade. A homemade 12-gauge pugakang shotgun, nylon ropes to make snare traps and various paraphernalia to make explosives called pong are brought out by a former hunter in Leyte. Though illegal, these are still used by poachers throughout the Philippines.

More often seen in museums. Two children have fun with a stuffed Philippine Warty Pig at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila. Due to centuries of hunting and habitat loss, wildlife such as wild pigs, crocodiles and pythons are now easier to see in zoos and museums. 

Still sold online. Wild deer and boar meat are still openly sold in online fora and shops.

Hogtied. Snare traps allow hunters to catch and transport live pigs. “Since it’s hard and dangerous to carry a struggling pig, we usually kill, gut and chop it up onsite, keeping only the meat,” reveals a former trapper.

The Battle Continues

The Philippine Warty Pig is fighting for its survival against illegal hunting, habitat destruction, and hybridization. The question remains: Will we act fast enough to save it?

With former hunters like Ed and Iñigo now on the frontlines of conservation, there is hope. But laws must be enforced, awareness must spread, and the demand for bushmeat must end.

Only then can we ensure that future generations will still hear the calls of the baboy damo echoing through the Philippine forests.

What Can You Do?

Report illegal wildlife hunting and trade to the DENR.

Support organizations working to protect the Philippine Warty Pig.

Raise awareness about the importance of conserving our native wildlife.

The fate of the baboy damo—and our forests—rests in our hands.

Contributed by Gregg Yan