21/03/2025
Published: 17 March 2025
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) reminded government employees to uphold political neutrality and avoid engaging in partisan political activities ahead of the May 2025 elections.
Under Joint COMELEC-CSC Advisory on Electioneering and Partisan Political Activities (Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2016), government employees are strictly prohibited from:
Forming groups, associations, or committees to solicit votes or campaign for/against a candidate.
Holding political rallies, caucuses, meetings, or parades for election campaigning.
Making speeches, announcements, or media commentaries to support or oppose a candidate.
Publishing, distributing, or displaying campaign materials promoting or opposing a candidate.
Directly or indirectly soliciting votes, pledges, or support for a candidate or party.
Using government resourcesโsuch as time, personnel, facilities, and equipmentโfor political purposes.
Providing financial or material contributions to candidates or political parties.
Wearing campaign-related shirts, pins, caps, or accessories, unless authorized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
Serving as a watcher for a political party or candidate during the election.
Who is Covered?
These prohibitions apply to all government employees, regardless of appointment status, including:
Personnel in all branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, and agencies of the Philippine government.
Employees of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) with original charters and state universities and colleges (SUCs).
Career officers holding political offices in an acting or officer-in-charge (OIC) capacity.
Uniformed and active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Employees on leave of absence, as they are still covered by the electioneering prohibitions.
Sanctions for Violations
Government employees who engage in prohibited partisan political activities may face administrative sanctions under the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RACCS):
First offense: Suspension of one (1) month and one (1) day to six (6) months.
Second offense: Dismissal from service, including loss of benefits and disqualification from future government employment.
Proper Social Media Use
The CSC also reminds employees to use social media responsibly:
Do not post, share, or comment on political content.
Avoid using government-issued devices or internet for political discussions.
Refrain from engaging in online arguments or discussions that could compromise public trust in government institutions.
Do not disclose official government information without proper authorization.
The CSC urges all government employees to remain professional, impartial, and mindful of their responsibilities as public servants, both offline and online.
