BATANGAS, Philippines – Journalists, together with representatives from the academe and the government, spoke about how a well-informed and critical citizenry can fight patronage politics and disinformation this 2025 national and local elections during the #AmbagNatin roadshow in Lipa City, Batangas last November 28.
Batangas’ Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Voltaire Aedrian Pua said political dynasties can end by voting wisely, urging the youth to assess the development in their cities and towns.
“Just because [politicians] give us assistance or scholarships doesn’t mean it is enough. When it comes to voting correctly, it is good to look for transparency. How are the funds used? How is it utilized? Was it properly utilized?” Pua said in Filipino.
Tina Ganzon-Ozaeta, a Batangas-based contributor for Rappler, said it is important for voters to ask the candidates regarding their platforms on disaster preparedness, especially after the onslaught of the Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in October, which killed 59 people in Batangas.
“There has to be a plan. I think that is what needs to be discussed. But we also have to ask [the candidates] if we want to know. Because if no one asks, if we’re okay with their singing and dancing on stage, then they won’t bother telling us,” Ganzon-Ozaeta said in Filipino.
Renato Maligaya, professor and coordinator of the De La Salle Lipa Center for Batangas Studies, hopes voters would be more cautious and critical in electing their officials to end the cycle of patronage politics and political clans. He also expressed his hope for candidates with tangible platforms.
“I hope that this coming election, there will be no candidates that would be saying ‘I don’t have any political platforms’ to begin with. I think we as a people deserve that each candidate really presents a platform, whether it’s local or national,” Maligaya said.
Educating the voters
Erlinda Candy Orense of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Lipa City said the key for a discerning electorate is voter education.
“There must be generational change regarding our perception of elections, and the government, and public service. So we really have to educate our electorate,” Orense said, highlighting this cannot be done overnight nor in one election.
She shared that for this reason, the commission conducts various voter education forums across the country, informing the public about the significance of their vote, and on the election laws and rules.
Maligaya recognized the initiative of various academic institutions regarding voter education, but said that “there should be more comprehensive and bolder steps for all academic institutions to have a collaborative effort” on voter education.
Ella Rivero, station manager of Batangas-based Balisong Channel, brought up the idea of how the Comelec can team up with institutions for voter education programs. According to her, media outlets, for instance, can collaborate with Comelec by requesting data on the candidates, which can be used to produce reports.
Disinformation as a challenge
Panelists also identified disinformation as one of the main challenges of this election.
Ganzon-Ozaeta said she expects a more active online campaign on social media after the holidays to May 2025, which may make it more challenging for the media to verify which is true and fake.
Maligaya, on the other hand, pointed out how the rise of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content can affect the election, especially those living in far-flung areas, whom he described as vulnerable to disinformation online.
“So, once they get one disinformed [through AI-generated] posting, a lot will follow. They would rely on those generated postings. And they don’t have time to discuss with other people. It is like gossip that spreads,” Maligaya said in Filipino.
The Comelec has anticipated the possible proliferation of disinformation in the 2025 elections, said Orense. For this reason, they launched the Task Force KKK (Katotohanan, Katapatan, Katarungan), formerly Task Force Kontra Fake News. The task force, based on Comelec Resolution No. 11604, aims to limit and control proliferation of misinformation and disinformation, by punishing acts such as creation and distribution of disinformation, and trolling activities.
Orense encouraged the participants to report candidates who violate the said resolution. According to her, citizens can submit screenshots and recordings of the posts that violate their social media guidelines to their task force. Submitted reports can result in a show-cause order against the candidates, or if warranted, it can be referred to law enforcement agencies, such as the National Bureau of Investigation.
Individuals can also report complaints in the Voters Hotline chatroom on the Rappler Communities app. The chatroom, launched in June 2024 in partnership with the Comelec, is a public space where users can tag Comelec staff regarding any complaints and issues related to the elections.
The Batangas leg of the roadshow, organized by Rappler’s Move.PH in partnership with #FactsFirstPH, the Department of the Interior and Local Government – Calabarzon, Balisong Channel, De La Salle Lipa, and DLSL Comelec, is part of a nationwide campaign to promote informed civic participation and vigilance against disinformation ahead of the upcoming 2025 elections. Around 100 participants attended the event. – Rappler.com