Manila: Private individuals are not required to register their webpages, vlogs, and other online platforms used for campaigning in the 2025 midterm elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Monday. This decision is part of a new resolution aimed at protecting private individuals' constitutional rights to freedom of expression. According to Philippines News Agency, a resolution promulgated on November 13 by the Commission en banc emphasized the importance of safeguarding the freedom of expression for private individuals. The resolution stated that freedom of expression is a fundamental constitutional right, essential for maintaining a democratic society. It facilitates open dialogue and the free exchange of ideas, allowing individuals to freely discuss politics, governance, social issues, and elections. Previously, Resolution No. 11064 had mandated that candidates, political parties, and others involved in creating or managing online campaign platforms register with the Education and Info rmation Department (EID). The revised resolution now only requires official social media accounts and pages associated with candidates and political parties to be registered. Furthermore, the resolution stipulates that only candidates, authorized officials of political parties or coalitions, and their official digital or social media campaign managers are obligated to submit a notarized affidavit. This affidavit must declare a commitment not to misuse social media, artificial intelligence, and internet technology for disinformation or misinformation purposes. The Comelec clarified that only the concerned candidate, political party/coalition, party-list organization, and their respective social media campaign managers would be responsible for addressing any complaints regarding violations of the guidelines.