A network of independent and community journalists has denounced the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for what it described as unauthorized restrictions on accredited media during the 2025 midterm elections, calling it a threat to press freedom and electoral transparency.
In a statement released on May 13, the Altermidya Network said it was dismayed by the actions of local COMELEC offices, which reportedly barred accredited journalists from covering electoral proceedings inside precincts.
“This is a clear affront to press freedom and the public’s right to transparent electoral coverage,” Altermidya said.
On May 12, a community journalist affiliated with the network was denied entry to Bansud Central School in Oriental Mindoro, despite showing valid COMELEC-issued accreditation.
Journalists were also blocked from documenting a case of malfunctioning equipment at Clustered Precinct 7 of Tiguisan Elementary School, also in Bansud, after a vote-counting machine repeatedly jammed around 2:00 p.m.
According to the group, journalists were prevented from entering or filming the incident unless they could produce additional “local credentials and proof of accreditation.”
Local COMELEC officials reportedly told journalists that only those included in an internal list were permitted to document or conduct interviews inside polling precincts.
Others, they said, were restricted to covering events outside and prohibited from speaking with voters or staff.
Reports from other areas — including Dasmariñas in Cavite, Bulacan, Manila, and Tondo — revealed similar obstructions. In one instance, media workers were initially barred from entering Pintong Gubat Elementary School in Paliparan, Dasmariñas, and were only permitted access after a direct call to the local COMELEC official.
Pinoy Weekly also documented a statement from school principal Marian Lomeda, who confirmed that a pre-election orientation for Department of Education Supervisor Officials (DESOs) identified only two media outlets as authorized to cover activities inside polling centers.
Altermidya said these restrictions “disproportionately impact independent, community-based, and alternative media — the very voices most connected to and trusted by marginalized sectors.”
The group also raised concern over the “documented presence of armed personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at polling centers in Mindoro,” saying the combination of military visibility and media blockades “has created an atmosphere of intimidation that threatens not only journalists but voters as well.”
Altermidya called on COMELEC’s national leadership to act swiftly, urging the commission to issue a public directive to all local offices affirming that national media accreditation must be recognized without condition across all precincts.
The group also demanded a thorough investigation into all reported incidents of media obstruction and called for the accountability of officials who violated national policy.
Furthermore, it stressed the need to ensure full, equal, and safe access for all accredited media workers, including those from community and alternative outlets.
“Free and independent media are the eyes and ears of the public, especially during elections,” Altermidya said. “Any attempt to curtail their access is not only a violation of press freedom but a grave affront to the integrity of these elections.”
