section_path: Issues/Security concerns
section_name: Security concerns
paragraph_text: Security concerns
  
  On October 21, 2023, Senator Francis Tolentino urged COMELEC to formulate policies regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in campaign materials to uphold the "principle of truthfulness". Later, on May 29, 2024, Garcia wrote to the COMELEC en banc seeking to prohibit the use of deepfakes and AI in campaigning for the 2025 election following the circulation of a deepfake of President Marcos appearing to have ordered an attack on China amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Garcia's proposal was backed by Senators Bong Revilla and Win Gatchalian, though the latter called for the commission to specify the policies on AI as soon as possible, remarking that "AI is evolving every day".
  
  On January 9, 2025, COMELEC declared 38 cities and municipalities nationwide as election hotspots under its highest red-level category due to grave peace and order situation in relation to the election. Orange-level alerts were issued for 177 areas while the lowest level, yellow, was assigned to 188 locations. On March 19, COMELEC revised its list of election hotspots, with the number of "red" and "orange" locations reduced to 36 and 156 respectively. In April 2025, more than 400 soldiers were redeployed from the Zamboanga Peninsula to Lanao del Sur to enhance security in the province following incidents of violence. In total, the Philippine Army deployed 16,489 personnel nationwide to provide security during the election. In Lanao del Sur and Basilan, 888 police officers were deputized as members of local Special Election Boards. COMELEC also approved the holding of vote canvassing in Maguindanao del Sur to be held at the headquarters of the Philippine Army's Sixth Infantry Division in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. On polling day, 163,000 police officers were deployed to watch over polling stations, including 8,000 soldiers deployed in the Visayas. On May 14, a man who offered ₱5 million (US$ 101,522.84) on Facebook on anyone who would bomb COMELEC offices was arrested in Mandaue.