2025 Elections Blog
Who spent the most in the 2025 elections? The Commission on Elections (Comelec) promised to immediately release the SOCE of the candidates.
The deadline for the submission of the Statement of Campaign Expenditures or SOCE for candidates in the 2025 elections was on June 11, 2025.
This video report was prepared by PCIJ intern Rizza Camingawan.
Few victories vs dynasties but reform hopes rise for 2028 campaign
May 19, 2025
Political dynasties again dominated the May 2025 Philippine elections, but a growing anti-dynasty sentiment during the election campaign made an impact “to a certain extent,” said Luie Tito Guia of the Democratic Insights Group, former commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“I think it did to a certain extent. The blatant display of dynastic politics may have generated some adverse reactions from the people, prompting them to consider the alternatives,” Guia told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Click to see how the regions voted:
All NCR cities elect candidates from political dynasties
May 14, 2025
Metro Manila residents woke up to familiar names of leaders – all members of dynasties – sweeping the mayoral races after Monday’s midterm elections.
Ten out of 16 incumbent mayors of the National Capital Region (NCR) were re-elected.
The others were replaced by their own relatives or by members of other political dynasties.
Click to see the list of winners.
Bong Go dominates Mindanao; Bam Aquino leads in most of NCR, Central and Southern Luzon
Partial and unofficial results of the senatorial race as of 2 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, show re-electionist Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go dominating the elections in Mindanao and many parts of the Visayas.
Meanwhile, returning Sen. Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV topped the race in most provinces in the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Southern Luzon.
ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo and presidential sister Imee Marcos also topped the races in several Luzon provinces.
Click to explore the map and see which candidate led the elections in the provinces.
Reports of machine errors, long lines and violence mar midterm polls
By TJ Burgonio
May 12, 2025
Reports of violence, and complaints of long queues due to voting machine malfunction and discrepancies between voters’ choices and printed receipts marred the conduct of midterm elections in the country on Monday.
In Silay City, Negros Occidental, two City Hall personnel were killed while seven others were wounded after they were fired upon by gunmen aboard a van at around 6 a.m. on Monday, according to GMA Integrated News.
The victims were reportedly on duty to monitor vote buying in the city.
Filipinos head to polls to decide the direction of the nation
By Carmela Fonbuena
May 12, 2025
Over 68 million Filipinos are headed to the polls on Monday, May 12, for midterm elections that will shape the direction of the country amid internal political turmoil and regional tensions.
Filipino voters will be using new vote-counting machines from South Korean company Miru Systems, replacing the Smartmatic units used in the past five national elections.
They will elect over 18,000 officials: 12 senators, 254 district representatives, 63 party list representatives, and 17,942 governors, vice governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors and councilors.
The Commission on Elections and the country’s security agencies will also be monitoring 36 areas identified as having serious armed threats and other election-related security concerns.
The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is aiming to retain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives after a falling out with former allies, the Dutertes.
The next Senate is expected to conduct hearings and vote on the administration-backed impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. A two-thirds majority, or 16 of the 24 senators, will be needed to remove her.
The arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, now detained by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, has upended the elections, appearing to boost the electoral chances of his allies.
But as the campaign drew to a close, the election discourse shifted to the alleged pro-China stance of the former president’s candidates, raising concerns about the country’s interests in the West Philippine Sea, though this shift may not have been fully reflected in the latest surveys.
The next Congress can derail Marcos’ policy that swung back to the US, the country’s treaty ally, after Duterte’s pivot to China.
Across the country, political dynasties are fighting to win local elections amid intensified campaigns against their monopoly of power.
The Philippine Constitution bans political dynasties, but Congress has not enacted a law that will implement the provision. At least two petitions were filed with the Supreme Court recently to compel Congress to pass the measure.
In at least one province, Ilocos Sur, 23 members of the Singson political dynasty are running for various positions. A son of former governor Luis “Chavit” Singson is running for two posts.
These same political dynasties are expected to deliver votes for the senatorial candidates. In a tightly contested race, political clans could provide the margin of 100,000 votes or less that could spell electoral victory or defeat.
Many surveys indicate that the same political dynasties are likely to dominate the results, but reform advocates are closely watching areas where they could face setbacks.
However, the rising cost of elections remains a barrier to newcomers, according to election watchdogs. Data from Nielsen Ad Intel shows that this year’s top ad spender, Camille Villar, has aired traditional media ads worth P3.5 billion before discounts.
Local election watchdogs — such as the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), and the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASA) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines — are again closely monitoring the conduct of the elections.
International observers, including the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the European Union Election Observation Mission, are also monitoring the elections, with the EU deploying a team to the Philippines for the first time. — Carmela Fonbuena/PCIJ.org
Supreme Court urged to compel Congress to ban political dynasties
By Luis Lagman
April 2, 2025
A broad coalition of political and civil society organizations and individuals lodged a petition with the Supreme Court (SC), urging Congress to enact a law banning political dynasties in the country.
The 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties, and the petitioners argued that Congress’s failure to pass an enabling law constitutes a violation of Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution, which explicitly bans them.
“We now have a government filled with elective officials whose primary qualifications are neither their character nor competence, but rather their luck in the genetic lottery,” the petition read.
The petitioners include two former Supreme Court justices: retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, representing the 1SAMBAYAN coalition, and former Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, who also served as Ombudsman.
Christian Monsod, one of the framers of the Constitution; Dante Gatmaytan, a constitutional expert; and economists Solita Monsod and Cielo Magno are also among the petitioners.
They said the continued absence of the law is the reason behind “political monopolies, … systemic inequality,” and worsening poverty. In this vein, the petition urges the SC to hold Congress in contempt if it fails to uphold the petition’s provisions.
The Senate and the House of Representatives—led by Senator Francis Joseph G. Escudero and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, respectively—were named as respondents in the 48-page petition, which seeks a writ of certiorari and mandamus before the tribunal. — Luis Lagman
NAMFREL appeals to candidates to win without violence
March 28, 2025
The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) condemned the “alarming rise” in election-related violence in a statement released on March 28, the first day of the campaign period for local elections.
“Violence has no place in a democratic society. It is antithetical to the free and fair exercise of elections and serves only to perpetuate fear, coercion, and division,” NAMFREL said.
The election watchdog group called on candidates, political parties, and their supporters “to reject violence as a means to secure victory at any cost.”
Namfrel said violence has been used to gain advantage, intimidate opponents, or as a tool for reprisal.
“Such actions are counterproductive and only lead to further bloodshed. We urge all stakeholders to prioritize peace and orderliness as the campaign period begins,” the group said.
NAMFREL said candidates and their supporters should engage in healthy competition through peaceful means such as dialogues, candidate forums, social covenants among competing candidates, and other non-violent activities for the promotion of understanding and mutual respect.
Namfrel will be monitoring potential flashpoints of violence in the May 2025 elections. — Erica Nicole Española
Cebu remains vote-richest; Bulacan climbs, Iloilo slips in Top 10
March 07, 2025
Cebu province in central Visayas continues to have the biggest voting population in the country, based on data released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Cebu has 3,407,780 registered voters. Cavite is a distant second with 2,447,362 registered voters.
The other provinces with the highest number of registered voters are Bulacan, Pangasinan, Laguna, Negros Occidental, Batangas, Pampanga, Rizal, and Iloilo.
Click the link for the nationwide map of registered voters:
Watchdog Kontra Daya flags 86 party-list groups
Feb. 17, 2025
Party list groups in the Philippines are not only dominated by members of political dynasties. They also have ties to big business and the uniformed services and have dubious advocacy, according to the election watchdog Kontra Daya.
There are 156 party list groups vying for seats in the House of Representatives in the May 12 national elections.
Kontra Daya has flagged 86 party list groups, including 40 linked to a political dynasty, 25 to big business, and 18 to the police and military; and 11 with dubious advocacy, seven whose nominees have corruption cases, and nine with insufficient information.
“The problem is, the leading party list groups are just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak,’’ Kontra Daya convenor Danilo Arao said in a recent forum. “We can look at corruption and big business angles.”
Kontra Daya’s research confirmed the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s (PCIJ) research on political dynasties swarming the party-list elections.
“We also commend the PCIJ. It bears mentioning that they also did their study on the party list system. More or less, the findings of Kontra Daya would tend to intersect with their findings as well. So, congratulations. Actually, mas nauna sila sa amin,’’ Arao said, referring to PCIJ’s series of reports on political dynasties.
Kontra Daya conducted more comprehensive research to track additional links of the party-list groups.
With regards to groups with business ties, Arao cited the case of Pinoy Ako, whose second nominee is Pacifico Discaya, owner of St. Timothy Construction Corp. (STCC).
STCC is part of a joint venture that forged a P17.9-billion deal with the Commission on Elections in March 2024 to automate this year’s midterms. The joint venture also included Miru Systems and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies.
The construction firm withdrew from the joint venture in September last year after Discaya’s wife Sarah, who is running for mayor in Pasig City, was threatened with disqualification by the Comelec.
“Again, the people deserve to know that kind of information. Do they have the right to run? Well, if you’re part of the marginalized and the under-represented, that would be good,’’ Arao said.
“But remember that’s St. Timothy Construction Corp. We’re not just talking here of millions of pesos, but billions of pesos. They are part of big business.’’
Kontra Daya also identified Arte, 1Pacman, TGP, PBA, GILAS, Nanay, AGIMAT, Ilocano Defenders, TicTok, Barkadahan, Vendors, AGRI, PBP, ONE COOP, Bagong Henerasyon, EduAksyon, People’s Champ, Angkasangga, Tutok to Win, 1Tahanan, Kamalayan, Ako Bicol, Galing sa Puso and Bangon Bagong Minero, as party list groups with nominees who are either owner, president or CEO of companies. — TJ Burgonio/PCIJ.org
Most Senate bets in lower House did not back impeach bid vs. Sara Duterte
Feb. 6, 2025
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro and Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, both senatorial candidates in the May polls, backed the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The others did not. Senatorial candidates Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, Valenzuela Rep. Eric Martinez, ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo, Agri Rep. Wilbert Lee, Sagip Party-List Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Bonifacio Bosita did not sign.
But Tulfo’s sister-in-law, fellow ACT-CIS Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, and her son, Quezon City Rep. Ralph Wendell Tulfo, signed the complaint.
Bosita’s colleague at 1-Rider Party-List group, Rep. Ramon Rodriguo Gutierrez, also signed and will serve as prosecutor.
Cavite Rep. Aniela Tolentino, niece of re-electionist Sen. Francis Tolentino, signed the complaint. It is the Senate that will try Duterte as an impeachment court.
All three relatives of re-electionist Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. did not sign: Agimat Party-List Rep. Bryan Revilla and Cavite representatives Lani Mercado Revilla and Ramon “Jolo” Revilla III.
Makati Rep. Luis Campos Jr., the husband of senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abigail Binay, did not sign. — Carmela Fonbuena/PCIJ.org
All NCR cities ruled by political clans
Jan. 27, 2025
All cities in the National Capital Region are ruled by political clans, PCIJ’s research shows.
Binay clan members have long controlled Makati City. In May, the country will once again see an intra-family rivalry in the city’s mayoral race.
Outgoing Senator Nancy Binay is running against Makati City Rep. Luis Campos, the husband of her sister, outgoing mayor and senatorial candidate Abigail Binay.
The Aguilars of Las Piñas, Abaloses of Mandaluyong, Tiangcos of Navotas, Cayetanos of Taguig, Gatchalians of Valenzuela, and Belmontes of Quezon City have long ruled their cities, too.
Either the incumbent mayors are running for re-election or their family members are seeking to replace them.
LIST OF INCUMBENT MAYORS IN NCR
| CITY | MAYOR | MAY 2025 PLANS |
| Caloocan City | Dale Gonzalo Malapitan | Re-electionist |
| Las Piñas City | Imelda Aguilar | Her daughter, Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery, is running for Mayor |
| Makati City | Abby Binay | Her sister, Sen. Nancy Binay, and husband, Makati Rep. Luis Campos, are rivals in the mayoral race. |
| Malabon City | Jeannie Sandoval | Re-electionist |
| Mandaluyong City | Benjamin Abalos Sr. | Vice Mayor Carmelita "Menchie" Abalos is running for mayor. |
| Manila City | Honey Lacuna | Re-electionist |
| Marikina City | Marcy Teodoro | His wife, Makati Rep. Marjorie Ann "Maan" Teodoro, is running for mayor. |
| Muntinlupa City | Ruffy Biazon | Re-electionist |
| Navotas City | John Reynald Tiangco | Re-electionist |
| Parañaque City | Eric Olivarez | His brother, Edwin Olivarez, is running for mayor. |
| Pasig City | Vico Sotto | Re-electionist |
| San Juan City | Francis Zamora | Re-electionist |
| Taguig City | Lani Cayetano | Re-electionist |
| Valenzuela City | Wes Gatchalian | Re-electionist |
| Pasay City | Emi Rubiano | Re-electionist |
| Quezon City | Joy Belmonte | Re-electionist |
Marcos, Villar are faces of 'elections controlled by billionaires and dynasties'
Jan. 21, 2025
The peasant movement, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), has assailed the more than P-1 billion individual spending by Sen. Imee Marcos and Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar on political ads ahead of the kickoff of campaign for the 2025 midterms elections.
Marcos and Villar, both running for the Senate, have aired ads worth more than P1 billion on ads from January to September 2024, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported, citing data from the Nielsen Ad Intel.
"While millions of farmers and fishermen are starving, here are the Marcoses and Villars who are spending billions for their campaign," KMP chair Danilo Ramos said in a statement.
"This is the face of elections controlled by billionaires and dynasties. Therefore, it is important to encourage progressive and mass candidates to express their platforms," added Ramos, who is seeking a Senate seat under the progressive coalition Makabayan.
Another Makabayan candidate for senator, Ronnel Arambulo of the fisherfolk group Pamalakaya, said the “costly expenditure” was “a clear insult to Filipinos who are suffering.”
“We should not be surprised if this money comes from the treasury of the people or from the exploitation of our natural resources. The public should be critical: where did this amount come from and how will the Marcoses and Villars take it back?" he said.
The prevailing trend of enormous pending on ad production, social media campaigns and maintenance of campaign offices “exacerbates” inequality in election races, where money trumps platforms of candidates, Ramos said.
"The election should not be allowed to be a game of political elites. The people's money should be allocated to social services, not to deceive voters," he said, even as he called for strict regulations on election spending. — TJ Burgonio/PCIJ.org
38 LGUs classified as 'red areas' ahead of May polls
Jan. 10, 2025
The Commission on Elections en banc on January 9 classified 38 towns and cities as red areas ahead of the May 2025 midterm polls.
They include areas in Isabela and Masbate provinces in Luzon; Samar and Iloilo in the Visayas; and Maguindanao Del Norte, Maguindanao Del Sur, Lanao Del Sur and Basilan in Mindanao.
The red category means there are grave security concerns in these localities. They may be placed under Comelec control if the security situation worsen in these areas towards the elections.
2025 Elections Blog: Comelec regulates candidates’ billboard ads
Dec. 13, 2024
The Commission on Elections has issued new rules setting the duration of display for billboard advertisements as well as the period for the removal of all forms of propaganda of candidates in the May 2025 elections.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 11086, national candidates shall not have more than two months of outdoor advertisement in a certain static or LED billboard, whether this is purchased or donated.
Their billboard advertisements shall not be within a radius of 1 kilometer from each other, it added.
For local candidates, the duration of billboard advertisement is limited to one month and while the radius limit is 500 meters.
Printed campaign materials should carry the message that these “should be recycled or disposed of responsibly,” and comply with laws on disposal of plastics or similar materials, according to the resolution released on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
Candidates and political parties can remove all forms of propaganda – names, images, logos, brands, insignias, initials -- from public structures and places at least 72 hours before the campaign period starts.
The campaign period for senatorial and party-list candidates kicks off on Feb. 11, 2025, and for congressional, provincial, city and municipal candidates, including those running for the Bangsamoro Parliament, on March 28.
The resolution also states that any person who commits violence against any member of the news media – torture, physical harm, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, intimidation, harassment, threat -- shall be liable for election offense.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, an election offense is a crime punishable by up to six years imprisonment, perpetual disqualification from public office, and deprivation of the right to vote. — TJ Burgonio
LENTE says Sulu exclusion not a compelling reason to delay BARMM polls
November 11, 2024
A poll watchdog has contended that Sulu’s exclusion from the Bangsmoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) does not present an “urgent, substantial, or compelling justification” for postponing the region’s parliamentary elections.
“The issue of Sulu’s exclusion from BARMM, while significant, does not prevent BARMM residents from exercising their voting rights for the remaining 73 parliamentary seats,” Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) said in a statement yesterday, Nov. 7.
The Bangsamoro Organic Law and Electoral Code mandate the region’s Parliament to have 80 seats. But the seats shrank to 73 after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled on Sept. 9 that Sulu, which possessed seven parliamentary district seats, should not have been included in the region.
On Nov. 4, Senate President Chiz Escudero filed Senate Bill No. 2862 which aims to reset the BARMM parliamentary elections from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026, citing that the SC ruling “may require a substantial correction of existing laws.” He also stressed that Congress needs time to create a new province for the eight municipalities in BARMM.
“The creation of a new province necessitates the creation of a legislative district as well. Failure on the part of Congress to do so may result in the disenfranchisement of voters in the 8 municipalities…” Escudero explained in the bill’s explanatory note.
His move coincided with the first day of filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs) and manifestations of intent to participate (MIPs) in the BARMM elections.
In the House of Representatives the next day, Nov. 5, Speaker Martin Romualdez filed a counterpart bill that precisely mirrors Escudero’s.
LENTE implored Congress to consult the public and key election stakeholders as they start deliberations on the bills. “Any sign that these bills would be railroaded or expedited without the necessary and effective consultation would contribute to the sentiment that the national government is again meddling in the affairs of the region,” the group said.
In 2021, Congress took five months to pass the extension of the BARMM elections and transition period from 2022 to 2025.
The poll watchdog further urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to “continue informing the general public on its timeline and preparations for the elections.”
Comelec Chairman George Garcia has consistently said that in the absence of a law postponing the BARMM elections, the commission will continue its preparations. He even flew to the Bangsamoro Electoral Office on Monday to show Comelec’s commitment to accept aspiring party and district representatives’ bids for the Bangsmoro parliament. Filing ended on Nov. 9.
LENTE highlighted the parliamentary election’s role in the decades-long peace process in Mindanao. “This first election represents a significant step towards providing the Bangsamoro people an opportunity to exercise the right to self-determination and autonomy which they have long fought for and have unjustifiably been deprived of,” they said.
The Senate hearing on Escudero’s bill opened on Nov. 7. It was squeezed into the upper chamber’s hectic schedule devoted to national budget hearings. — Guinevere Latoza
BARMM opens candidacy filing period amid Escudero's call for postponement
November 5, 2024
The six-day candidacy filing for the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) opened on Monday, February 4.
It will be the first parliamentary elections in the country.
At least one regional political party, Moro Ako, and several candidates for district seats trooped to the offices of the Commission on Elections in the region.
Senate President Francis Escudero's last-minute call to for another postponement of the BARMM elections loomed large on the candidacy filing, however. He filed a bill resetting the elections from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.
“If Malacañang is the one calling for Congress to amend the organic law in order to postpone the elections, it will most probably happen,” said Benedicto Bacani, executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG).
BARMM was established in 2019 following a successful plebiscite vote to create the new autonomous region that has wider powers and access to resources than its predecessor, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It was a political settlement between the government and the former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which agreed to drop its secession bid.
The first regular elections were scheduled in May 2022. It was postponed to May 2025 due to the inability of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to accomplish its tasks under the Bangsamoro Organic Law due to the Covid-19 pandemic, among others.
Escudero said the Supreme Court ruling excluding Sulu from the BARMM — because of its no vote during the plebiscite — should warrant another postponement.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who led the Senate move to postpone the BARMM polls in 2022, disagreed. He warned of a potential “backlash” if the BARMM polls are postponed again. He said it would not sit well with locally elected leaders.
The postponement bill was robustly deliberated in 2022. From the time it reached the Senate plenary, it took the senators almost four months to approve the bill on final reading.
It took another month for the House of Representatives to approve the postponement bill, and for both legislative chambers to ratify it. — Carmela Fonbuena/PCIJ.org
ARCHIVES: here's how congress deliberated the bangsamoro postponement law in 2022
TRACKER: Duterte signs law postponing BARMM polls to 2025
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism follows congressional debates on the proposed bills. Follow this page for updates.
Bangsamoro parliament makes last-minute call to postpone elections
October 25, 2024
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has urged Congress to once again postpone the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and extend the transition period to 2028.
BTA passed Resolution No. 641 less than two weeks before the scheduled filing period for certificates of candidates (COCs) for the May 2025 elections on November 4-9.
A law is needed to postpone the BARMM elections, but Congress is currently on a break. Sessions will resume on November 4, coinciding with the start of the COC filing period.
Member of Parliament Baintan Ampatuan, who penned the resolution, cited the Supreme Court (SC) ruling that excluded Sulu from the BARMM.
The SC ruling disrupted the region's preparations for the 2025 polls. Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, who announced his bid to become BARMM’s chief minister, is no longer eligible to run for a regional post.
Sulu province was also allocated seven of the 80 seats in the Bangsamoro parliament. No decision has been made on how to handle those seats.
Bangsamoro Elections
Extending the transition period will allow BARMM “sufficient time to resolve legal issues affecting the parliamentary elections, ensure border participation of political parties and a full understanding by the Bangsamoro electorate of the new parliamentary elections, and enable the Bangsamoro Government to sustain the momentum of socio-economic progress in the region,” the resolution stated.
At least two petitions were filed to ask the high court to reconsider its decision, one of which was initiated by the Bangsamoro government.
The resolution was also met with criticisms and disapproval, according to Mindanews, a media organization based in Mindanao.
"No change in our preparations," Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia told PCIJ.
Comelec said they are set to hold elections for 73 seats in the BARMM parliament. The Bangsamoro government also previously declared that they will continue preparing for the elections despite the SC ruling. — Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org
PCIJ reports spotlight rising cost of Philippine elections
October 16, 2024
A fourth Villar is running for the Senate. Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar is already among the early spenders in the May 2025 elections.
Meta’s Ad Library shows that she has spent P1.73 million to boost her ads on the social media platform from July to September 2024. The period covers 90 days before the start of filing of certificates of candidacies (COC) on October 1.
She also has billboards and posters all over the country. She has ads on TV.
This is not surprising for a Villar. Her family’s campaigns over the last two decades have underscored the rising cost of elections in the Philippines.
Former Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. reported spending P38.5 million during his first bid for a Senate seat in 2001, based on his Statement of Contributions and Expenses.
Two decades later, his son Mark reported spending more than three times the amount to campaign for the same position in 2022.
The country's campaign spending laws do not apply to premature campaigning. The SC ruled that the laws only apply to “candidates” and aspirants only become candidates once the campaign period officially begins.
Click to read PCIJ's reports:
Questions after the exit of St. Timothy Construction Corp. in Miru JV
October 16, 2024
The Right to Know, Right Now! (R2KRN) coalition raised questions after the departure of a major partner in the P17.9 billion poll automation deal with the Commission on Elections for the May 2025 polls.
St. Timothy Construction Corp. withdrew from the joint venture with South Korean firm Miru Systems Co. Ltd. and Philippine companies, Integrated Computer Systems Inc. (ICS) and Centerpoint Solutions and Technologies Inc.
Is the Miru JV still capable of complying with the terms of the agreement?
It was the STCC that presented a P41-billion net financial contracting capacity (NFCC) as proof that the Miru Joint Venture can fund its “deliverables” to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In an Oct. 11 statement, the Miru Joint Venture said it submitted a new NFCC to assure Comelec that its two remaining Philippine partners, particularly ICS, were capable of complying with the terms of the deal.
Is the contract still valid?
The coalition also demanded to know if the joint venture would still comply with the 60-40 equity requirement under the Government Procurement Law in favor of Philippine nationals and entities.
The Miru Joint Venture said in its Oct. 11 statement that even with STCC’s exit, the joint venture “remains to be 60% Filipino owned, with the remaining partners keeping the previous shares of STCC.”
FOI request
The coalition on Oct. 9 filed a demand letter asking the Miru Joint Venture to disclose its capability to comply with the terms of the agreement, as well as the responsibilities and liabilities of the remaining partners.
It also submitted an omnibus freedom of information (FOI) request to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the disclosure of the same data.
Click to read the full report:
Comelec memo vs AI misuse 'hopeful despite limitations'
September 26, 2024
The Commission on Elections is seeking to crack down on candidates’ use of deepfakes and cheapfakes to sow disinformation and misinformation during the campaign period for next year’s national elections and parliamentary elections in Mindanao.
In Memorandum No. 241031 released on September 19, the Comelec is requiring candidates and parties to disclose any form of AI manipulation in digital campaign materials.
It is also mandating candidates, parties and their campaign teams to register their social media accounts and platforms with the body.
“It is hopeful in the sense that Comelec is proactively addressing this issue despite the limitations,’’ former Comelec commissioner Luie Tito Guia said.
But he said he was interested to see how the guidelines “could affect non-candidates and non-parties, who will express their political sentiments using AI and soc med that may sound ‘partisan’.”
“Will they be ‘punished’? Will they get to keep their account?’’ he wondered.
Memorandum No. 241031 identified acts that constitute misuse of AI, social media and internet technology and an election offense.
These include the use of “false amplifiers’’ like fake accounts and bots; dissemination of deepfakes, cheapfakes and soft fakes; use of fake and unregistered social media accounts; and dissemination of fake news, all to sow disinformation and misinformation against any or all parties.
Once any of these is reported, the Comelec said it would gather evidence, launch an investigation, file a complaint and request a takedown of the content.
“The immediate debunking of fake news published and disseminated against the Philippine election system, the Comelec, or the electoral processes, shall also be undertaken by the Task Force KKK sa Halalan,’’ it said, referring to the body tasked to enforce the guidelines.
The Comelec defines deepfakes as digitally manipulated images, videos or audio files created with AI to fabricate realistic representations of people or events; cheapfakes as forms of visual disinformation; and soft fakes as a media manipulation involving subtle alterations of content.
On top of that, the body is requiring candidates and parties to disclose the use of AI and if ever, the manipulation of content using this technology in campaign materials. The campaign materials will carry this disclosure.
The disclosure – which should be clear, conspicuous and not easily altered – “must be visible or audible’’ for a sufficient time before and after the material is presented, it said.
It should state that the content has been manipulated and detail the extent of manipulation, it added. Also, this must include confirmation that prior consent was obtained from individuals depicted in the AI-manipulated material.
Comelec chair George Erwin Garcia said they are wary of the use of artificial intelligence and social media to undermine the integrity of elections in May 2025,
“For us, we will not absolutely prohibit the use of AI because it can be helpful if it is used properly, but we would like to prevent misinformation, disinformation, and fake news,” he told senators during the Senate deliberations on the agency’s 2025 proposed budget last Thursday.
Garcia had earlier pushed for a ban on candidates’ use of AI and deepfake technology during the campaign period, warning that this could undermine the integrity of the vote and the credibility of candidates and election officials.
Comelec is also requiring candidates, parties and their campaign teams to register their social media accounts, websites, digital and internet-based campaign plaforms with its education and information department (EID) within 30 days after the filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs), which begins Oct. 1.
These include social media pages, websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs and other online platforms.
Apart from candidates or representatives of either candidate or party, individuals managing a platform for or against a candidate are required to register with the elections body.
If they fail to do so, they will be required to explain why a complaint for violation of the guidelines should not be filed agaisnt them. The Comelec will also request the removal, takedown or blocking of any unregistered account or platform.
A total of 18,271 positions are up for grabs in next year’s elections, including 12 for senator and 254 for district representatives in the House of Representatives.
The election period runs from Jan. 12 to June 11, 2025. Candidates for senator and party-list groups may campaign from Feb. 11 to May 10. The rest may do so from March 28 to May 10. — TJ Burgonio/PCIJ.org
US grand jury indicts Smartmatic execs, Andres Bautista in alleged $1M bribery
August 9, 2024
A United States grand jury has charged former Philippine elections chief Andres Bautista and three Smartmatic executives for an alleged $1 million bribe scheme during the 2016 presidential elections in the Philippines.
Two Smartmatic executives residing in Florida in the US, where the investigation was conducted, allegedly bribed Bautista “to obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections and to secure payments on the contracts, including the release of value added tax payments," the US Department of Justice said in a statement.
The bribe money was allegedly laundered with the help of a third Smartmatic executive using the US financial system.
Separate charges of bribery and money laundering were filed against the four.
Smartmatic executives Venezuela citizen Roger Alejandro Pinate Martinez and US citizen Jorge Miguel Vasquez were accused of bribery. The two residents of Florida were each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and one substantive violation of the FCPA. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
According to the Department of Justice, Pinate and Vasquez funded the bribe money through a slush fund created by “over-invoicing the cost per voting machine for the 2016 Philippine elections.”
Bautista, the intended recipient, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments.
The same charges were made against Pinate, Vasquez and another Smartmatic executive, Elie Moreno. They allegedly laundered the funds using bank accounts located in Asia, Europe, and the United States.
If convicted, Bautista and the three executives face a maximum penalty of 20 years for each count of international laundering of monetary instruments and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” the Justice Department said in the statement.
As chair of the Commission on Elections from 2015 to 2017, Bautista awarded Smartmatic a $199 million contract to supply the Philippines with 94,000 voting machines for the 2016 presidential election won by Rodrigo Duterte. Bautista has denied the allegations against him.
Smartmatic has maintained that it has never won any project “through any illegal means” and that the allegations in the Bautista case are “not related to Smartmatic election security or integrity.”
In November last year the Comelec disqualified Smartmatic from taking part in the bidding process for future elections due to the allegations of bribery and money laundering against Bautista and Smartmatic in the US. The Supreme Court reversed the Comelec decision.
South Korean firm Miru Systems won the contract to run the Philippines' midterm elections in May 2025. — PCIJ.org
Comelec gets P35.5 billion in proposed 2025 budget
July 31, 2024
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) earmarked a budget of P35.5 billion for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the proposed budget for next year.
The DBM allocation is 29 percent lower than Comelec's budget request for 2025, a big election year in the Philippines. The poll body asked for P49.75 billion.
The amount included proposed allocations for the May 12, 2025 national and local elections and the Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV).
These amounts cover operations on election day. The procurement of election machines and various requirements to prepare for the elections are separate items in the approved 2024 budget and the 2025 proposal.
The proposed Comelec budget also included allocation for the December 2025 Sangguniang Kabataan and Barangay Elections although there are pending proposals to postpone the village elections because these are too close to the May 2025 elections and the Comelec will need more time to prepare for another election.
Comelec task force launched vs AI-driven disinformation
July 21, 2024
The Commission on Elections has launched Task Force Katotohanan, Katapatan at Katarungan sa Halalan to curb AI-driven disinformation, misinformation and malinformation in the run-up to next year’s elections.
The task force would “prebunk’’ and debunk malicious and erroneous TV, radio, print or online content against the Comelec, its officials and electoral processes, officials said.
The goal is to protect the sanctity of the elections and the integrity of the elections body, they said.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia expressed the hope that the activation of the task force would help set the tone for the crafting of legislation on the matter.
Garcia also appealed to academicians, IT experts, political parties and citizens’ arms to help the Comelec draft sound policy guidelines on disinformation and misinformation on social media in the absence of a law defining AI and punishing its misuse.
“We want to know what part of AI that is being used for elections should be regulated and prohibited, if any, and if regulated and prohibited, will we be violating any law or right?’’ he was quoted in reports as telling reporters during the launch last Thursday, July 18.
In a related development earlier in the week, the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) objected to a proposed ban on the use of artificial intelligence as a campaign tool in the midterms.
Namfrel said the ban may infringe on freedom of speech and expression, as well as “limit the benefits of AI in enhancing electoral processes.”
“Namfrel instead recommends the Comelec to draft a Code of Conduct that will embody a set of ethical principles that all election stakeholders will be asked to adhere to,’’ it said in a position paper to the Comelec released last Tuesday, July 16.
Namfrel also proposed that candidates and political parties be required to disclose their intention to use AI in their campaigns and their willingness to be audited for any AI-generated content.
In May, Garcia proposed a ban on AI in the midterms, saying that an abuse of the technology could worsen the spread of fake news.
Comelec had earlier accredited Namfrel and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting as citizens’ arms in the midterms and Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on May 12, 2025, and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Dec. 1, 2025. — TJ Burgonio
Garcia asks AMLC help to prove he doesn't have offshore accounts
July 11, 2024
Commission on Elections Chair George Erwin Garcia on July 10 asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to investigate allegations he received bribe money from automated elections system (AES) service provider Miru Systems.
In a letter to AMLC chair Eli Remolona Jr. and AMLC executive director Matthew David, Garcia issued an affidavit of denial and a waiver authorizing the anti-money laundering body “to open and investigate” offshore bank accounts allegedly under his name.
“These allegations claim that I have been accepting bribe money from a Korean firm and purportedly hold numerous bank accounts across various banks in Singapore, North America, China, and the Caribbean,” he said in the July 10 letter.
“I am writing to formally request the AMLC conduct a full and thorough investigation into the baseless and defamatory allegations that have been circulating against me,” he added.
Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta had earlier said he would seek a House inquiry into the P18-billion poll automation deal awarded to Miru Systems due to suspicious deposits of P120 million to a Comelec official’s 49 offshore accounts from accounts in South Korea between June 22 last year and March 22 this year. He did not name the official. He also did not present any evidence.
“This is a work in progress. You have to bear with me, because we’re still verifying most of these accounts,” he said.
Marcoleta claimed that the fund transfers to these accounts coincided with the Comelec decisions on the deal, from the bidding until the award of the contract to Miru Systems.
Garcia urged the AMLC to prioritize the investigation “given the potential implications of these allegations on the integrity and independence” of the poll body.
“The public's trust in our democratic institutions is paramount, and there is an urgent need for the public to be informed of the outcome of this investigation. It is vital that this matter is resolved swiftly to maintain public confidence and ensure the integrity of our electoral system,” he said.
Garcia said he executed the affidavit and waiver to support his request for a formal investigation of the allegations by the AMLC and the National Bureau of Investigation.
The Comelec chair had earlier vehemently denied Marcoleta’s insinuations that he received bribe money from Miru Systems.
The Miru deal included the lease of 110,000 automated counting machines to replace the 97,000 vote counting machines procured from Smartmatic, the country’s provider from 2010 to 2022. — TJ Burgonio, PCIJ.org
Garcia rejects bribery insinuations on Miru deal
July 10, 2024
Commission on Elections Chair George Erwin Garcia has denied insinuations by a lawmaker that he received bribe money during the bidding for the new automated elections systems service provider won by a South Korean firm.
“Let’s not beat around the bush. I’m the one being referred to. We have information about a planned demolition job against Comelec for two weeks already,’’ Garcia told reporters on Tuesday.
Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta sought a House inquiry into the P18-billion poll automation deal awarded to Miru Systems after claiming that his team discovered suspicious deposits totaling P120 million to a Comelec official’s offshore accounts during the bidding.
He did not present any evidence. He also did not name the official.
Garcia said he does not have an offshore account.
“In truth, I don’t have even one foreign account. I can swear to it anywhere,’’ Garcia said. To prove this, he could sign a waiver for the said bank accounts and give all the money found there, he added.
Marcoleta claimed that money from five accounts originating from South Korea was transferred to 49 offshore accounts of the official between June 22, 2023 and March 22 this year.
Garcia blamed a group of individuals opposed to the Miru contract for the demolition job. He said this group had been “peddling’’ the false information to several lawmakers for weeks now.
He said he expected another allegation on his supposed properties in the United States to come out.
Miru, for its part, said it would focus on delivering the “best possible automated’’ system to fill the needs of Filipino voters. — TJ Burgonio, PCIJ.org
Comelec told to assess risks of posting voters' pics outside precincts
June 24, 2024
The National Privacy Commission (NPC) has advised the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to assess the risk of its plan to post pictures of voters next to their names on voters’ lists outside polling precincts on Election Day on May 12, 2025.
Privacy Commissioner John Henry Naga told Comelec Chair George Garcia that the poll agency’s initiative “should be subjected to a thorough risk assessment.”
“Comelec shall guarantee that the processing of information is adequate, relevant, suitable, necessary and not excessive in relation to a declared and specified purpose,’’ Naga said in a June 11 letter to Garcia.
As controller of personal information, Comelec should conduct “a judicious evaluation of whether the proposed measure is proportional to their declared purpose,’’ he added.
Inside the precinct, there’s already a computerized voters’ list that includes the voter’s specimen signature and photo. This will be used by an electoral board for verification.
Garcia had earlier sought NPC’s legal guidance on the proposal, which it said is primarily intended to aid voters in quickly identifying their designated voting locations in a bid to streamline the electoral process.
More than 2.5 million new voters have so far registered for the midterm elections.
Naga said Comelec should also assess if there are other less intrusive ways to do this.
“Personal data shall only be processed if the purpose could not be reasonably fulfilled by any other means. On top of these, the Comelec shall have necessary and appropriate security controls in place,’’ he added.
Naga also said that that Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act should not be used to interfere with the duties and functions of a government agency, including the processing of personal data, for as long as these comply with the law. — TJ Burgonio, PCIJ.org
Comelec releases 2025 calendar
May 31, 2024
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued Resolution No. 10999 setting the election period for the May 12, 2025 midterm elections from Jan. 12, 2025 to June 11, 2025.
During this 150-day period, a gun ban will be enforced throughout the country.
The following actions are also prohibited during this period: suspension of elected local officials from provincial down to barangay level; employment of security personnel by candidates; illegal release of prisoners; issuance of appointments, promotions and creation of new posts in government agencies; and the release, disbursement of spending of public funds without seeking exemption from the Comelec.
Voters may register only up to Sept. 30 this year.
The Comelec set Oct. 1-8 as the period that aspirants for local and national posts may file their certificates of candidacy (CoCs) and for party list groups to file their certificates of nomination and acceptance of nomination.
Substitute candidates have until Oct. 8 to file their CoCs. Substitution is allowed after Oct. 8 and until mid-day of election day only if a candidate is disqualified or dies.
The Comelec set the 90-day campaign period for national candidates – those seeking seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, including party list posts — from Feb. 11 to May 10, 2025.
Local candidates may campaign for 45 days from March 28 to May 10.
Meanwhile, Filipinos overseas may vote from April 13 to May 12, 2025 while those eligible for local absentee voting – such as members of the police, armed forces and the media – may do so from April 28 to 30.
A liquor ban will take effect on May 11, eve of election day.
The other important dates to remember are as follows:
• Aug. 31, 2024–Last day of “Register Anywhere” Program
• Sept. 1 to 28, 2024–Period for holding political conventions by parties to select or nominate candidates
• June 11, 2025–Last day to file statement of contributions and expenditures
SC directs Comelec, Miru to comment on petition to nullify P17.9-B contract
May 28, 2024
The Philippine Supreme Court has directed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the joint venture that won the P17.9-billion contract for the country’s automated elections next year to comment on a petition seeking to nullify the award.
The SC order released on Monday, May 27, came days after a Comelec announcement that the first 20 automated counting machines (ACMs) supplied by Miru Systems Co. Ltd. passed the hardware acceptance tests (HAT).
South Korean company Miru Systems Co. Ltd. is part of a joint venture that includes the Integrated Computer Systems, St. Timothy Construction Corporation and Centerpoint Solutions Technologies, Inc.
The joint venture is expected to supply 110,000 machines for the 2025 elections.
The SC order was based on a petition filed by former Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, who asked the high court to declare the election contract “null and void.” Erice said Comelec should continue to use the vote counting machines that the poll body purchased from Smartmatic, the company that supplied the country’s automated election systems from 2008 to 2022.
Comelec barred Smartmatic from continuing to bid for the country’s election systems on the basis of allegations that it bribed a former chief of the poll body.
Following the disqualification of Smartmatic, the joint venture led by Miru became the sole bidder for the country's multi-billion election contract.
The SC later reversed Comelec’s decision to disqualify Smartmatic from bidding in its contracts. However, the high court still allowed the poll body to proceed with the election contract.
“The court recognized that to require the Comelec to conduct another round of public bidding would seriously disrupt its preparations for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) and potentially jeopardize the very conduct of the NLE,” the Supreme Court said in a statement.
Erice’s petition was filed after the Supreme Court allowed the contract between Comelec and Miru to proceed. — PCIJ.org
All reelectionist senators vote to oust Zubiri
May 21, 2024
The Philippine Senate changed leadership a year before the 2025 midterm elections, ousting Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri as Senate President in favor of Sen. Francis Escudero. The ouster is expected to affect political alignments in next year's race, which could also shape the presidential elections in 2028.
All reelectionist senators voted to oust Zubiri as Senate President. They include Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa whose investigation into the alleged drug use of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is believed to be among the reasons why Zubiri was removed by "the powers that be."
Dela Rosa was seen weeping when Zubiri delivered his privilege speech on Monday.
Senators Imee Marcos, sister of the President; Pia Cayetano, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Lito Lapid Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Francis Tolentino also voted to oust Zubiri.
"I think that (their reelection bids) weighed heavily [on their decisions], said a source in the Senate.
LIST: 15 senators who voted to oust Zubiri as Senate President
Escudero will also oversee the passage of the 2025 budget, also known as the “election budget.” Sen. Grace Poe took over as chairman of the committee on finance.
Poe replaced Sen. Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, who resigned from the position to give the new leadership a free hand to reshuffle committee chairmanships.
“When this institution was under threat, ipinaglaban ni Senate President Zubiri ang ating institution. Ipinaglaban niya ang ating taong bayan doon sa mga gustong solohin ang kapangyarihan,” said Angara. — Carmela Fonbuena, PCIJ.org
Comelec to prohibit substitution of candidates after Oct. 8 filing of COCs
The Commission on Elections will no longer allow the substitution of candidates after the October 8 deadline for the filing of Certificates of Candidacies (COCs) for the May 2025 midterm elections.
“Unanimous po. Pumayag ang ating Commission en banc sa naging proposal ng inyong lingkod na wala nang substitution after ng last day ng filing ng candidacy, which is October 8, kung ang ground ay withdrawal ng candidacy,” said Comelec chairman George Garcia.
(It was a unanimous decision. The Commission en banc approved our proposal to prohibit substitution after the last day of filing of COCs, which is October 8, if it is based on the ground of withdrawal of candidacy).
The prohibition covers candidates who will voluntarily withdraw their COCs. Substitution will still be allowed on the grounds of death or disqualification of the candidates.
It is a decision that will address so-called “placeholders.” These are personalities who file their COCs to keep the posts open for someone else who has yet to decide if he or she will seek an elective position or which position he or she will seek.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte used this route in the 2016 presidential elections, when he substituted for his party-mate Martin Diño. Former Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio also used this route in the 2022 elections, when she substituted for Lakas-CMD candidate Lyle Uy.
"To the candidates, lay your cards on the table, declare it, face it immediately. Don't rely on substitutions," Garcia said during the briefing.
The Comelec has yet to release the calendar of activities for the 2025 elections, but it has announced that the filing for COCs has been scheduled from October 1 to 8.
Garcia also earlier announced that the ban on premature campaigning will take effect as soon as candidates file their COCs in October.
Comelec expects the number of voters to balloon to 71 million in 2025 from 68 million in 2022. The last day of voter registration is scheduled on September 30. — PCIJ.org
One year to go before midterm polls
May 12, 2024
It's one year to go before the May 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines. Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia said the poll body is in the "thick of preparations" not just for May 12, 2025 elections but also for the December 5, 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSK) Elections.
Barring hitches, voters will see a lot of innovations in the upcoming elections. There will be a new provider for the country's automated election system. Internet voting will become an option for overseas voters.
Comelec will also facilitate mall voting for select voting precincts and early voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and "heavily" pregnant women.
The poll body is supposed to complete within the first quarter of 2024 the procurement of software and hardware materials that will be used in next year's elections. The P18-billion lease contract for a new automated election system was awarded to South Korean firm Miru Systems.
The contract for the electronic transmission of results was awarded separately to the joint venture of iOne Resources Incorporated and Ardent Networks.
Comelec earlier disqualified Smartmatic from bidding for Comelec contracts because of its alleged involvement in a 2016 bribery scheme. Smartmatic served as the country's election systems provider in five national and local elections, from 2010 to 2022.
The Supreme Court recently reversed the Comelec position, but the high court's ruling is "prospective in application."
"Miru will be the one to supply to us the 110,000 machines that we are going to use in the next election. Ang ginawa po ng inyong Commission on Elections, in-unbundle po namin 'yung software, hardware, ballot boxes, ballot, at printing," Garcia said during a breakout session at PCIJ's Third National Conference on Investigative Journalism held on April 30.
Election watchdogs praised Comelec's "unprecedented transparency" in its preparations for next year's polls, but they remain "cautious" about the South Korean firm that will replace Smartmatic as the country's election systems provider — PCIJ.org
Photos by Cindy Aquino for PCIJ