The Commission on Elections (Comelec) warned the public against social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter which seek to impersonate its top officials.

In a statement issued on Thursday, January 27, the Comelec asked the public to immediately report the fake accounts for violations of community standards and impersonation policy.

“These blatant attempts to steal the online identity of Comelec officials are potentially part of a broader attempt to undermine the elections,” said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. “The Comelec stands ready to take legal actions against the perpetrators.”

The statement came after a Twitter account bearing the name of Comelec Commissioner Marlon Casquejo posted unverified claims about the upcoming Comelec-sponsored debates in February, and tagged some members of the media.

Casquejo said the incident has been reported to the National Bureau of Investigation.

“I do not maintain any social media account and that includes Twitter,” Casquejo told Rappler in a text message.

Of the seven-member en banc, at least two are maintaining active public pages and accounts on social media.

Outgoing Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, the most media-savvy in the en banc, is on Twitter and Facebook. Commissioner Aimee Ferolino also has a Facebook page.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez usually notifies the public about election-related developments on Twitter and Tiktok. His department also manages Comelec accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Tiktok for information dissemination. – Rappler.com

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