Poll body to weed out 'nuisance' candidates
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced over the weekend that it would resolve all petitions against candidates deemed "nuisance" by the end of November, paving the way for a final list of candidates ahead of the May 12, 2025 midterm elections. Comelec Chairman George Garcia said this decision was crucial for the timely printing of ballots, expected to begin in December. Garcia said 117 applicants for the senatorial candidacy who were not included in the initial list of qualified candidates would have the opportunity to present their cases before the poll body. This move follows the provisions set out in the Omnibus Election Code, which allows Comelec to refuse or cancel candidacies to uphold the integrity of the electoral process. The Comelec chief emphasized the importance of eliminating nuisance candidates — those who may cause confusion among voters or undermine the electoral process. "We need to keep nuisance candidates off the ballots to prevent problems for Comelec later and to avoid confusion for voters," he said in an interview over the weekend. The Comelec defines nuisance candidates as those who file candidacies with no genuine intention to serve or who may mislead voters, particularly those with names similar to other candidates. "Sometimes, the wrong candidate is proclaimed the winner, especially if there is a similarity in names," Garcia said as he highlighted the potential for serious electoral consequences. Candidates will be able to contest their classification as nuisance candidates through the commission's two divisions. They also have the right to appeal any unfavorable decisions to the Comelec en banc. In assessing candidates, the commission will consider not just their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) and supporting documents but will also conduct background checks, review social media activity, and analyze media interviews to ascertain the seriousness of their intentions to run for public office. Additionally, Garcia said some candidates might have disputes with the political parties they represent, which could influence their qualifications. "We did not include or exclude anyone based on poverty, lack of funds, or lack of resources to wage an election campaign," he said.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced over the weekend that it would resolve all petitions against candidates deemed "nuisance" by the end of November, paving the way for a final list of candidates ahead of the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said this decision was crucial for the timely printing of ballots, expected to begin in December.
Garcia said 117 applicants for the senatorial candidacy who were not included in the initial list of qualified candidates would have the opportunity to present their cases before the poll body.
This move follows the provisions set out in the Omnibus Election Code, which allows Comelec to refuse or cancel candidacies to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.
The Comelec chief emphasized the importance of eliminating nuisance candidates — those who may cause confusion among voters or undermine the electoral process.
"We need to keep nuisance candidates off the ballots to prevent problems for Comelec later and to avoid confusion for voters," he said in an interview over the weekend.
The Comelec defines nuisance candidates as those who file candidacies with no genuine intention to serve or who may mislead voters, particularly those with names similar to other candidates.
"Sometimes, the wrong candidate is proclaimed the winner, especially if there is a similarity in names," Garcia said as he highlighted the potential for serious electoral consequences.
Candidates will be able to contest their classification as nuisance candidates through the commission's two divisions. They also have the right to appeal any unfavorable decisions to the Comelec en banc.
In assessing candidates, the commission will consider not just their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) and supporting documents but will also conduct background checks, review social media activity, and analyze media interviews to ascertain the seriousness of their intentions to run for public office.
Additionally, Garcia said some candidates might have disputes with the political parties they represent, which could influence their qualifications.
"We did not include or exclude anyone based on poverty, lack of funds, or lack of resources to wage an election campaign," he said.
