MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has declared 23 more individuals who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 Senate race as nuisance candidates, bringing the total number to 70.

The poll body’s First and Second Divisions have vetted and disqualified these individuals for not meeting the qualifications or for being unlikely to win.

Among those declared nuisance candidates by the First Division are Primo Puso Aquino, Berteni Causing, and Alice Jumalon.

The Second Division disqualified Miranda Cadion, Melissa Fortes, Deviendo Biazon, and 16 others.

Last week, 47 Senate aspirants were similarly ruled out, and a total of 183 individuals had filed their COCs during the October 1-8 filing period at the Manila Hotel Tent City.

As of now, 66 candidates remain on the partial list of legitimate Senate contenders for the May 2025 elections. The rest, numbering 117, are under scrutiny, facing petitions filed by Comelec’s Law Department.

Bangsamoro Elections Updates

In a separate development, the Comelec has also received 111 COCs for parliamentary district representatives and seven Manifestations of Intent to Participate (MIPs) from regional political parties for the upcoming Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections on May 12, 2025.

A total of 25 parliamentary district seats and 40 regional parliamentary party seats will be contested. COCs and MIPs were filed in the Bangsamoro from November 4-9.

However, Comelec Chairman George Garcia warned that if the BARMM elections are postponed to May 2026, the filed COCs and MIPs may be invalidated. In that case, new filings would be required.

The possibility of postponement hinges on legislation, which could delay the election schedule, Garcia clarified.

ia/mnm

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) confirmed on Tuesday (08 Oct 2024) that Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) has filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for senator through his lawyer, Atty. Mark Tolentino.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia confirmed the filing when asked if Quiboloy had submitted his COC for the senatorial race.

Garcia previously stated that anyone is free to file a COC as long as there is no final verdict on their cases.

Quiboloy is currently detained at the Philippine National Police Detention Facility in Camp Crame, Quezon City, due to multiple charges, including child abuse and human trafficking.

Today, October 8, marks the last day for filing COCs.

Ia/mnm

By Junex Doronio

MANILA – While the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is obligated to accept the certificate of candidacy (COC) of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, Comelec Chairman George Garcia stated on Monday (07 Oct 2024) that they may still disqualify her from running for re-election.

Guo’s lawyer, Stephen David, previously mentioned that the detained mayor, facing charges related to illegal gambling hubs, would be filing her COC this week.

“Pagkatapos mai-file [ang kaniyang COC] saka namin pwedeng i-cancel, pwede siyang i-disqualify base sa mga umiiral na mga patakaran o ‘yung mga kinakaharap niyang problema,” Garcia said in an interview on TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

It’s worth noting that in August, the Ombudsman dismissed Guo for grave misconduct and barred her from returning to government service.

“Mayroon kaming inilabas na resolution dalawang linggo na ang nakakalipas. Sinabi namin sa resolution na ‘yan na ang mga opisyal ng pamahalaan na dinismiss, tinanggal sa pwesto, at may nakalagay na perpetually disqualified to hold public office, ay amin kaagad tatanggalin kapag nag-file ng certificates of candidacy,” Garcia emphasized.

Ia/mnm

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has updated its regulations concerning party-list nominees holding public office in preparation for the upcoming elections.

In Resolution No. 11065, the Comelec en banc has mandated that individuals in appointive roles who are nominated by a party-list group for the May 2025 elections must resign from their positions at the start of the campaign period.

According to the resolution, “Nominees holding appointive offices, including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and employees of government-owned or controlled corporations, shall be considered resigned from their office.”

This decision marks a departure from previous guidelines that allowed nominees to retain their government roles even after accepting their party-list nominations.

The change was prompted by a petition from election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who contested Comelec Resolution No. 11045 in the Supreme Court. Macalintal argued that the 1987 Constitution prohibits civil service employees from participating in electioneering or engaging in partisan political activities.

The filing period for the Certificate of Nomination and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CON-CAN) by party-list groups is scheduled from October 1 to 8, while the campaign for national positions, including senators and party-list groups, will commence on February 11, 2025.

ia/mnm

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has introduced new regulations for the 2025 midterm elections, restricting the number of companions allowed for candidates during the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs).

According to Resolution No. 11045, unveiled on Friday (30 Aug 2024), candidates for national and local positions can be accompanied by up to three to four persons during COC filing from October 1 to 8. Specifically, senatorial candidates may bring up to four companions, while candidates for other positions are limited to three.

This measure aims to mitigate overcrowding at filing venues.

The Comelec mandates that senatorial candidates and party-list nominees file their COCs and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CON-CAN) at the Law Department in Intramuros, Manila, or at another venue designated by the Commission En Banc. Candidates for local positions, including governor, vice governor, and provincial board members, must file their COCs at their respective Offices of the Provincial Election Officer (OPES). Meanwhile, mayors, vice mayors, and city or town council candidates should file with the Offices of the Election Officer (OEOs). Candidates for the House of Representatives must file with the Office of the Regional Election Director (ORED), OPES, or OEOs.

Additionally, the Comelec has reiterated that each party-list must nominate 10 individuals. Nominations of fewer than 10 will not be accepted or processed by the Commission.

el Amigo/mnm

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Overseas Voting Secretariat (DFA-OVS) and the Commission on Elections’ Office for Overseas Voting (COMELEC-OFOV) are now in the thick of things preparing for the implementation of internet voting for Overseas Filipinos in the coming 2025 National Elections.

This follows its launch in South Korea last June where Filipino community leaders and members of the media were trained in the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS).

Aside from South Korea, similar initiatives have also been carried out in Spain, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

These trainings aim to give the Foreign Service Posts (FSPs) enough knowledge to run internet voting that will facilitate voting for Filipinos abroad.

DFA-OVS Chairperson Undersecretary Jesus Domingo emphasized the importance of these campaigns, while Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia mentioned the possibility of extending internet voting within the country for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women.

Registration for overseas votes will end by September 30, 2024.

ia/mnm

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said on Monday (06 June 2024) that political candidates seeking to run in the 2025 elections should submit their latest photos to the commission which will be used for their campaign materials.

“Requirement para sa gagawin nating Fair Elections Act dapat po ay mag-submit sa amin kahit mga lima hanggang sampu siguro…dapat po taken within 6 months bago ang filing ng Certificate of Candidacy,” Garcia said in a radio interview.

Garcia said that the move aims to avoid misrepresentation.

“Because of misrepresentation, misinformation. Ang ating pinipigilan po dito, syempre ‘yung mga bagong kandidato lalung lalo na, hindi naman nila kakilala ‘yung mga kandidato na halimbawa gumagamit ng mga pictures na 20, 30 years ago… Pictures na nga lang hindi pa tayo magpakatotoo,” he added.

Comelec chairman said that using photos that were not submitted to the commission will be considered illegal campaign materials.

Meanwhile, he stressed that simple enhancement of photos is allowed.

“Pero ‘yung mukha namang hindi magkatulad ang kanilang itsura, larawan, para sa atin po ay misrepresentation ‘yun,” Garcia said.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Is the Commission on Elections (Comelec) being swayed by sci-fi movies when robots rule Planet Earth?

On Wednesday (29 May 2024), the Comelec said it is eyeing to ban the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake in campaign materials for the 2025 midterm polls.

“The abuse of this technology in campaign materials such as videos, audios, or other media forms may amount to fraudulent misrepresentation of candidates,” Comelec chairperson George Garcia said in his memorandum.

It was learned that AI is the simulation of human intelligence in machines or computers while deepfake is a digitally manipulated recording that shows fake images, audio, and video hoaxes.

“This defeats the very purpose of a campaign, which is to fully and truthfully inform the voting public about the elections and the candidates,” Garcia pointed out.

He also urged Congress to craft and pass a bill allowing the poll body to regulate a candidate’s social media posts during campaign periods.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said on Wednesday (May 15, 2025) that no one has filed to cancel the candidacy of Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.

In a radio interview, Garcia explained that Comelec cannot unilaterally cancel a candidate’s candidacy based on citizenship unless a registered voter files for such action.

“The issues of age, citizenship, residency, voter registration, and literacy—whether you can read and write—are qualifications that Comelec cannot question on its own. A registered voter must file for disqualification or cancellation of candidacy,” Garcia said.

“In her case, no one has filed for cancellation of her candidacy,” he added.

Guo is currently under scrutiny in the Senate regarding her identity and citizenship.

Meanwhile, Garcia urged the public to be vigilant about the identity of candidates.

“Citizens in any locality should be alert. Even political opponents should be vigilant—are they truly qualified? Are they really from here? Are they genuinely citizens of the Philippines?” the Comelec official said.

Garcia also clarified that the citizenship and residency of a candidate are ongoing qualifications.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Amid the fiery debates over charter change (Cha-Cha) via people’s initiative (PI) that tends to polarize the nation, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday announced that it has suspended “indefinitely” the acceptance of signature sheets by the local Comelec offices pending the review and revision of the said guidelines.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia disclosed in a press conference that the Comelec en banc unanimously voted for the suspension of Comelec Resolution No. 10650 which covers the guidelines for the PI.

“We honestly believe, base sa aming initial assessment, kailangan naming i-review, i-enhance, dagdagan ‘yung aming existing IRR o implementing rules and regulations concerning the people’s initiative dahil sa ating palagay, may mga bagay doon na kulang at wala doon sa ating guidelines,” Garcia declared.

He added: “Kailangan po ito para maiwasan ang problema, kaguluhan, at hindi pagkakaunawaan doon sa interpretasyon ng probisyon ng ating mga rules.”

Maharlika NuMedia learned that as of January 26, 2024, the Comelec has so far received signature forms for the PI from a total of 1,072 municipalities and cities.

Garcia clarified again that the submitted signature sheets were not yet verified by the Comelec as the required number of signatures has not yet been met.

He further said that there is no formal petition yet for the PI.

“Sa aming palagay, sana naman ‘wag kaming obligahin kung gaano kahaba o kaiksi ‘yung panahon na kakailanganin namin para ma-review namin ang rules. Sinabi rin naman ng Korte Suprema sa naging desisyon niya… na dapat ang people’s initiative ay isang kapangyarihan ng mamamayan at dahil dito, dapat siguraduhin natin that the people will able to exercise really this right under the constitution,” Garcia stressed.

Earlier, President Ferdinand ‘“Bongbong” Marcos Jr. when asked for his thoughts on the PI, replied that: “Let Comelec do their job.”

To recall, in December last year, presidential cousin Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said that the House of Representatives was keen on launching a people’s referendum to determine how the House and the Senate should vote on proposals amending the 1987 Constitution.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — It seems there’s no stopping for the momentum of the voters’ signatures favoring charter change (Cha-Cha) via People’s Initiative (PI) as of Wednesday (24 Jan 2024) two million signatures have been collected.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it will continue to accept signatures collected by the People’s Initiative for Modernization and Reform Action (PIRMA) despite opposition from some quarters led by the country’s Senators who declared their unanimous declaration against it by issuing an official manifesto on Tuesday (23 jan 2024).

“We apologize for those who call for the Comelec to stop accepting signatures, as we cannot do it. It is part of our duty as mandated not just in the law but also in the guidelines that the Comelec has promulgated in 2020. If they think that we are doing wrong, then they can question the guidelines”, Comelec chairman George Garcia said.

Since the required number to proceed with the filing of a petition is eight million signatures, or 12 percent of the total registered voters nationwide, and three percent of the registered voters per legislative district, with the two million already collected, only six million signatures are needed to have a plebiscite.

In the plebiscite, the voters will be asked if they agree that the Senate and the House of Representatives will vote jointly for amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

On Tuesday (January 23), all the 24 senators opposed a proposal for both chambers of Congress to vote jointly to change the 1987 Constitution.

The senators said they could not cast meaningful votes against more than 300 congressmen.

As of 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the poll body said it has issued Election Officer (EO) Certifications to 187 out of 254 legislative districts and 1,010 cities and municipalities.

Garcia said they are still waiting for the remaining 67 legislative districts to submit their signature forms.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Despite the stiff opposition from an election lawyer, the Commission on Elections on Tuesday said there’s nothing wrong in its move to receive and count signatures in an ongoing People’s Initiative (PI) campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution even before a petition was filed.

Comelec chairman George Garcia pointed out that the signatures were being tallied based on the guidelines specified in the poll body’s Resolution 10650.

“We cannot change the guidelines when there is already a process ongoing… at this point there is no petition yet. This process has not yet started. What the Comelec is doing is a purely ministerial function,” Garcia said in a television interview.

He explained that local Comelec offices would eventually certify the signature forms that would “form part of a petition that will be filed later.”

On Monday (January 22), election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said it was “premature” to submit the signature sheets to the poll body without a formal petition lodged with the Comelec.

Macalintal argued that “it gives a wrong impression to the people that an initiative to amend the charter has already been properly or validly initiated.”

(el Amigo/MNM)

MANILA — In a significant development, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday (29 Nov 2023) that it has disqualified Smartmatic, the voting technology company, from participating in any future procurements conducted by the poll body.

Smartmatic, which has been the provider of vote-counting machines in the Philippines since the shift to automated elections in 2010, now faces exclusion from upcoming electoral technology contracts.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia emphasized that the decision to disqualify Smartmatic was not influenced by a petition alleging irregularities in the 2022 polls.

The petition, filed by the group led by former Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio, Jr., aimed to prevent Smartmatic from bidding for the 2025 automated election system.

“It’s not based on the allegations of Rio and company. We have to maintain the integrity of our electoral process. Para sa bayan,” Garcia stated, underlining the commitment to safeguarding the electoral system.

Smartmatic, in response, stated that it has not received official notification of the decision.

The company asserted its clean record, highlighting that it has never been indicted in the United States or any other country for any election-related contracts throughout its 23-year history.

“We urge Comelec officials to conduct this search independently and to show to the public any indictment against Smartmatic. We are confident that there is no such indictment in the United States,” the company declared.

The disqualification comes amid ongoing controversies, including the United States government seeking assistance from Comelec in a money laundering case involving former poll chief Andy Bautista.

Both Smartmatic and Garcia have vehemently denied the allegations, with the company emphasizing its consistent adherence to all of Comelec’s procurement processes during biddings and contract execution.

(ai/mnm)

By Junex Doronio

TAKING NOTICE that only about 40 percent of the estimated 1.7 million overseas Filipino qualified voters were able to vote in past electoral exercises, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now eyeing to implement internet voting for Filipinos based abroad in the upcoming 2025 midterm polls

On Wednesday, November 22, Comelec Chairman George Garcia explained that this move is aimed to increase the voter turnout and to make it more convenient for overseas Pinoy voters.

“Para sa 2025, regardless whether there is law or not, the Comelec is pursuing internet voting for overseas Filipinos,” disclosed Garcia during the Updates on Political Party Institutionalization and the 2025 National and Local Elections conference held at The Bayleaf Intramuros in Manila.

He added that despite the 2022 polls’ seeing the highest overseas voting numbers, they were still less than half of the registered Filipino voters abroad.

“That’s very important. Kasi ang botante abroad in 2022 ay 1.697 million pero ang nakaboto, 40.59 percent lang. That’s about 670,000 but it’s the highest in the history of overseas voting, highest pa po ‘yon,” Garcia noted.

Presently, there are two ways of voting for Filipinos abroad.

The first option is for the voter to go to the Philippine embassy or consulate to cast his or her vote.

And the second option is through the mail, wherein the embassy or the consulate sends the official ballot to the voter, who then mails it back to the diplomatic post.

(AI/MNM)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — The Senate Committee on Finance has augmented the 2024 budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

During the budget deliberation, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel highlighted that the House’s version had reduced the proposed 2024 budget of Comelec under the National Expenditure Program by P200 million. However, the Senate has now allocated an additional P500 million to the commission’s funds.

Senator Imee Marcos, the sponsor of the Comelec budget in plenary, expressed the commission’s aspiration to reinstate at least P5.96 billion in the fund, ensuring that preparations for the 2025 elections are not compromised.

The estimated cost for the 2025 national and local elections is P39.68 billion, with P22.9 billion allocated for election preparations. Anticipating an increase in the number of voters to reach 71 million by 2025, additional funds will be required for additional precincts.

The 2024 fund encompasses P19.8 billion for the rental of 116,000 vote counting machines (VCMs) at P155,000 each, along with contingencies for 11,000 VCMs.

The procurement of ballot boxes, ballot printing papers, and SD cards is also included in the allocated fund.

(ai/mnm)

No more than a massive turnout of voters is expected as the Commission on Elections dispatches official ballot boxes to different voting precincts nationwide for Monday’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

Featured in photos here are personnel of the Manila Treasurer’s Office and local Comelec loading up ballot boxes for delivery on Sunday, October 29, 2023, to Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Tondo, Manila, and other voting precincts.

In the forthcoming 2023 BSKE, a grand total of 672,016 positions are up for grabs, including 42,001 seats for Barangay Chairman, 294,007 for the Sangguniang Barangay, as well as an equivalent number of positions for the SK Chairmanship and SK Council.

The Commission on Elections has reported a total of 1,414,487 individuals participating in the BSKE, with 96,962 vying for the Barangay Chairman role, 731,682 contending for seats on the Sangguniang Barangay, 92,774 candidates for the Sangguniang Kabataan, and 493,069 individuals seeking positions in the SK Council.

(Benjamin Cuaresma/ai/mnm)