Comelec amends final list of candidates for Eleksyon 2025

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has amended its final list of candidates in view of recent Supreme Court (SC) temporary restraining order (TRO) on the disqualification of some candidates for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE).
In a resolution issued Tuesday, the Comelec directed its Law Department to update its database and certified list of candidates for this year’s polls to include Subair Guintum Mustapha in the senatorial candidates as well as ex-Rep. Edgar Erice and Charles Savellano in the list of candidates for the House of Representatives.
Also to be included are some aspirants running for local positions, including Chito Balintay, who is running for governor in Zambales; and Florendo Ritualo Jr., who is seeking a Sangguniang Panlungsod seat in San Juan; Marie Grace David, who is running for Limay, Bataan vice-mayor; Mary Dominique Oñate, who is running for Palompon, Leyte mayor; and Aldrin Sta. Ana, who is running for mayor in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The poll body likewise directed the inclusion of the aforementioned aspirants in the official ballots for the 2025 NLE.
“The Commission will remain committed to comply with whatever orders and decisions of the Honorable SC in relation to conduct of May 12, 2025 NLE and BPE,” it added.
To recall, six million printed ballots, with a printing cost of around P132 million, were put to waste following the issuance of a temporary restraining order by SC against the disqualification of several local bets in the May 12 midterm polls.
The poll body began transporting the six million wasted ballots to a warehouse in Laguna's Sta. Rosa City for proper disposal last week. The Comelec opted for paper melting after the National Archives of the Philippines prohibited the use of micro-shredding for recycling.
The reprinting of the 73 million ballots for this year’s polls will commence on Wednesday, January 22.
Meanwhile, Comelec has conducted a trusted build for the automated election system (AES) for the May elections to establish an “add” feature that would allow the system to include an additional eight names in the official ballots.
--VAL, GMA Integrated News