It might be an issue, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson James Jimenez for endorsers if they will use their programs to campaign for candidates for the May 2022 elections.

In a press briefing on Friday, Feb. 11, Jimenez told reporters that doing so may be considered donated airtime.

"It's good practice siguro to not use their platforms to campaign because magiging issue yan (it will become an issue) in terms of using these platforms for campaign purposes, magiging (it will be) considered the donated advertising time," he said.

In another interview on ABS-CBN News Channel Jimenez stated that endorsements in general are not "prohibited" and that everyone has the right to express their opinion, but they "cannot" use their platforms, their soapboxes to campaign for people.

"So for example, you have a radio program, you may take a leave from the radio program, and in the past, the networks have been very good about actually shutting down these programs, or at least putting them on hold until the campaign season passes," he said.

"Again, the ultimate point here is that you don't abuse the platform that you have. It's okay to express your opinion. It's okay to say it whenever you're out. guesting somewhere, but if you have a program, if you have a TV show or if you have a radio program, then perhaps you don't use that program for the advantage of the candidate," he added.

But with the increasing popularity of social media, it becomes easier for anyone who has a following to put up a channel and Jimenez said that there are no limits and no caps for social media which is now the problem. "And that's why we've been pushing for legislation to regulate the use of social media for political purposes. And it's not just for candidates campaigning. But as you pointed out, for private citizens and even people with huge followings, because remember, on social media, you don't need a third party to produce a show for you," "And if you're a person who's known, if you're a person who has a following it's very easy to have a web program or a podcast that can rival the reach of even mainstream media. These are areas where the law is sadly deficient," he added.

But Jimenez said that the poll body is making its way forward slowly and that one of the "silver linings" that the Comelec can take away from all of that's happening is that hopefully the next Congress will see exactly how bad the situation has gotten.

With that, Jimenez hopes that the Congress will move forward because up to now, according to him, the whole thing has been an abstract problem, the whole thing has been a thing about people speculating that this is going to happen, that this is going to be a problem.

"But now we're seeing that these challenges are real, and that there is a legislative solution for this," he said.

Meanwhile, he said that candidates who have programs have to take a leave, based on election laws.