The Altermidya Network expresses its dismay at the Commission on Elections (Comelec), particularly its local offices, for enforcing unauthorized restrictions on duly accredited journalists during the 2025 midterm elections.
This is a clear affront to press freedom and the public’s right to transparent electoral coverage.
On May 12, a community journalist from Altermidya was denied access to cover voting proceedings inside Bansud Central School in Oriental Mindoro, despite presenting proof of media accreditation from the Comelec. Media personnel were also barred from taking pictures and video of a case of machine malfunction at Clustered Precinct 7 (Precincts 15B, 15C, 16A, 16B, 17A, 17B) in Tiguisan Elementary School, Bansud, Oriental Mindoro.
The malfunction, which began around 2:00 PM, resulted in repeated paper jams, but journalists were prevented from entering or recording the incident due to demands for local credentials and proof of accreditation.
Local Comelec officials claimed that only journalists on their internal list were allowed to document and conduct interviews inside polling precincts. Others, they said, were limited to coverage outside the premises and barred from conducting interviews.
Reports from Dasmariñas, Cavite, Bulacan, Manila, and Tondo mirror these restrictions. In Dasmariñas, media workers were initially blocked from entering Pintong Gubat Elementary School in Paliparan and were only allowed to cover after a direct call to the local COMELEC head.
According to school principal Marian Lomeda, a pre-election briefing for Department of Education Supervisor Officials (DESOs) identified only two media outlets as authorized to conduct coverage inside polling centers. These incidents were documented by Pinoy Weekly.
Such arbitrary and selective enforcement of media access rules is a concerning violation of press freedom, especially in the context of reports of grave election anomalies, fraud, harassment, and election violence.
Worse, this pattern of exclusion disproportionately impacts independent, community-based, and alternative media — the very voices most connected to and trusted by marginalized sectors.
Compounding the issue is the documented presence of armed personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at polling centers in Mindoro.
The combination of media blockades and visible military presence has created an atmosphere of intimidation that threatens not only journalists but voters as well.
We call on COMELEC’s national leadership to urgently:
• Issue a public directive to all local Comelec offices affirming that national media accreditation must be recognized without condition across all precincts;
• Investigate all reported incidents of media obstruction and hold accountable the officials who violated national policy;
• 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. Any attempt to curtail their access is not only a violation of press freedom but a grave affront to the integrity of these elections.
