23 more bets dropped from 2025 Senate race

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections has so far declared 70 senatorial aspirants for the May 2025 polls as nuisance candidates.

The latest data released by the Comelec showed an additional 23 people, who filed their certificates of candidacy for senator, were declared nuisance candidates by the poll body’s 1st and 2nd Divisions.

There were three people declared as nuisance candidates by the Comelec 1st Division: Primo Puso Aquino, Berteni Causing and Alice Jumalon.

Meanwhile, Miranda Cadion, Melissa Fortes, Deviendo Biazon, Epifanio Perez, Phil delos Reyes, Luther Meniano, Najar Salih, Vicente Domingo, Roel Lamoste, Fernando Manlangit, Edgardo Duque, Subair Mustapha, Artemio Maquiso, Robert Tagean, Robert Agad, James Reyes Jr., Jaime Balmas, Jose Bunilla, Eulogio Partosa and Bethsaida Lopez were declared nuisance bets by the Comelec 2nd Division. 

Earlier, the poll body had declared 47 senatorial aspirants as nuisance candidates. 

During the filing period held at the Manila Hotel Tent City from Oct. 1 to 8, the Comelec received 183 certificates of candidacy for senator.

The commission has included 66 of the 183 aspirants in the partial list of senatorial candidates for the May 2025 elections.