Imposter account of Philippine poll body spreads false ID requirement claims
- Published on May 5, 2025 at 10:00
- 3 min read
- By Lucille SODIPE, AFP Philippines
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"May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections. NO NATIONAL ID NO VOTE," reads a graphic shared on May 3, 2025 on a Facebook page named "Comelec Election Updates".
It also shares a link to a purported list of valid IDs that voters can bring on election day to prove their identity, with a caption in Tagalog that reads, "Check this as you may not be able to vote."
But it actually leads to a product sold on Shopee, an e-commerce site popular in Southeast Asia.
Similar posts surfaced elsewhere on Facebook and on Instagram as the Southeast Asian nation gears up for elections on May 12 that will decide hundreds of seats in the House of Representatives and Senate as well as thousands of local positions.
The Philippines launched a national identification system in 2018 but its implementation has been marred by delays. According to local news reports, some 36 million cards had not yet been printed at the end of 2024 (archived here, here, here and here).
People who shared the false claim appeared to believe the supposed ID rule.
"How will I vote if my national ID isn't with me? It's been three years since I applied," one complained.
"My national ID is yet to be released, now you want to use it as a requirement to vote?" said another.
But Comelec said in a statement published May 3 on its official Facebook page that the advisory is "FALSE and DID NOT ORIGINATE from the Commission on Elections" (archived link).
"Voters will only be asked to present a valid ID in case their identity cannot be verified through the Election Day Computerized Voters' List."
According to Comelec's voting procedures on election day, the registered voter's identity will be established through their photo or signature found in the list (archived link).
If it can't be determined through the list, the polling precinct's electoral board "may require the voter to present any valid identification document, except [village] certificate or community tax certificate."
If the voter did not bring any valid ID, any member of the electoral board or another voter in the same precinct may, under oath, identify the registered voter.
The circulating graphic was shared by an impostor Comelec page created the same day it posted the fabricated voting rule. It only has more than 70 followers.
The election agency's official Facebook account was created in 2016 and has 1.3 million followers (archived link).
AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Philippine elections.
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