The Commission on Elections (Comelec) did not disqualify Bayan Muna Party-List from the 2025 midterm elections, nor has it linked the group to terrorist activities.
Two days before the May 12 elections, multiple Facebook pages circulated edited images designed to look like news reports from reputable media outlets, including Philstar.com, to falsely claim that Bayan Muna was disqualified and any votes for the party will be “null and void.”
Some posts went beyond fake headlines, featuring fabricated Comelec resolutions and false statements attributed to election officials.
RATING: This is false.
Facts
Comelec issued a statement on May 10 debunking the claims, saying Bayan Muna Party-List is not disqualified from the 2025 midterm elections and that it is still among the groups Filipinos could vote for on May 12.
“Walang nilabas na Resolution ang Commission En Banc na nagdidiskwalipika sa Bayan Muna Party-list ngayong halalan at sila ay OPISYAL PA RIN NA KABILANG SA LISTAHAN NG MGA PARTY-LIST GROUPS NA MAAARING IBOTO SA LUNES (May 12, 2025),” the poll body said.
(The Commission en banc did not issue any resolution disqualifying Bayan Muna Party-List in this election, and they are still officially included in the list of party-list groups that can be voted for on Monday.)
The poll body also reminded the public that spreading false information during the campaign period is an election offense under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, just as red-tagging has recently been recognized as an election offense.
Not only is the claim false, but it was backed by fabricated “news updates” and articles posing as reports from mainstream media, none of which appear on legitimate news outlets’ official websites or social media pages.
Philstar.com also did not publish or report on the false claims.
Read the full story on Philstar.com.