Comelec readies rules on talent fees for endorsers

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will soon require candidates to include talent fees of influencers and celebrities in their campaign expenditures in the May midterm elections.

- By RHODINA VILLANUEVA

"We will come up with a resolution on the presumption that certain personalities, celebrities, vloggers and media influencers are engaged by the candidate even if they say these were done for free," Comelec Chairman George Garcia said in a briefing yesterday.

“We will be issuing next week (a resolution), and the political and finance committee will have us approve it. It will recommend to us a provision stating presumption of paid service,” he added.

The poll chief referred to paid service as “any person, including influencer, content creator and celebrity who shall openly support, endorse and promote or otherwise the campaign of any candidate using print, broadcast media, social media or other electronic mass communication is presumed as a contractor and whose service is paid by such candidate or party benefited therefrom.”