Comelec declares 117 senatorial bets as nuisance candidates

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) declared 117 senatorial bets as nuisance candidates for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE)

“117 na ang naresolve namin. Ibig sabihin, ‘yung lahat ng 117 na dineklara ng dalawang division ng Comelec na mga panggulo o walang seryoso na intensyon na tumakbo sa darating na halalan,” said Comelec Chair George Garcia on Tuesday. 

(We resolved 117 cases. This means the two Comelec divisions declared 117 aspirants as nuisance candidates.)

“Anim sa 117 ang nag-file na ng motion fo resconsideration,” he added.  

(Six of the 117 filed motions for reconsideration.)

The six senatorial hopefuls that filed the MRs are Felipe Fernandez Montealto Jr., Orlando Caranto De Guzman, John Rafael Campang Escobar, Roberto Sontosidad Sembrano, Fernando Fabian Diaz, Luther Gascon Meniano, and Alexander Cura Encarnacion. 

The period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) was conducted from October 1 to October 8, concluding with 183 senatorial hopefuls and 156 party-lists filing their Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONAs).

Initial list

Earlier, the Comelec released an initial list of senatorial aspirants whose names may be included in the official ballot for next year's elections. 

The Comelec said the list was "without prejudice to the decision of the Division or En Banc in the petitions to declare as nuisance candidates filed by the Law Department."

The Supreme Court earlier ruled that unpopularity and non-membership in a political party are not sufficient grounds to declare an individual as a nuisance candidate.

Based on Comelec Rules of Procedure Part V, Rule 24, any candidate is identified to have no bona fide intention to run for public office if they put the election process in “mockery or disrepute or to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates or who by other acts or circumstances.”

This may then result in their declaration as a nuisance candidate and their certificate of candidacy being denied due course or canceled.

BARMM polls

Meanwhile, Garcia said the poll body has yet to receive any petition to declare aspirants vying for positions in the 2025 Bangsamoro elections as nuisance candidates. 

“So far, wala pang nuisance candidates petition  na fina-file sa Bangsamoro. Limang araw lang ang deadline para sa pagffile nito mula nang matapos ang filing ng COC noong November 9. Dapat November 14 lang ang filing ng petition against a particular candidate,” he said. 

(So far, we have yet to receive petitions to declare as nuisance candidates against bets vying for positions in the Bangsamoro polls. It should have been filed five days after the last day filing of COCs on November 14.)

The period for the filing of COCs started on November 4 and will end on November 9, 2024. It was moved from the original schedule of October 1 to October 8 following a Supreme Court (SC) ruling excluding Sulu from the Bangsamoro region.  

—VAL, GMA Integrated News