section_path: Issues/Premature campaigning
section_name: Premature campaigning
paragraph_text: Premature campaigning
  
  Although premature campaigning is prohibited by the Omnibus Election Code, there is effectively no legal prohibition against the practice due to the landmark Supreme Court decision Penera v. COMELEC in 2009, which ruled that persons who filed certificates of candidacy could only be considered official candidates when the campaign period begins, and thus can only be penalized for election offenses they committed afterwards.
  
  In May 2024, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) published research indicating at least 14 potential Senatorial candidates collectively spent a total of ₱3.5 million to boost their posts on Facebook. The PCIJ indicated that Senator Bong Go spent ₱1 million (US$ 20,304.57) alone on Facebook advertising, being followed by former Senator Bam Aquino and Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. As such spending is not subject to electoral policy limiting campaign expenditures, Garcia moved to begin the ban on premature campaigning in October 2024, when candidates are due to file their candidacies for public office.