Party-list groups dominate 5th day of COC filing

Erin Tañada, Leila De Lima and Teddy Baguilat formalize bid for House seats. INQUIRER.net / John Eric Mendoza

MANILA, Philippines – Various party-list groups dominated the fifth day of the filing period for the May 2025 party-list elections.

A total of 23 groups or organizations filed their respective certificates of nomination – certificates of acceptance of nomination (CON-CAN) at the Manila Hotel Tent City on Saturday.

Among them are the Mamamayang Liberal (ML), whose first nominee is former senator Leila de Lima; TGP party-list; Maharlikang Pilipino Party; Kabataan; Aktibong Kaagapay; Construction Worker’s Solidarity (CWS); Kaunlad Pinoy; 1-Pacman; Toda Aksyon; Ako Bisaya; KM Ngayon Na; Solo Parents; ASAP Na; Ayuda para sa may Kapansanan; 4P’s; and Pilipinas Babangon Muli.

READ: Leila de Lima files CONA for Mamamayang Liberal party-list

Also filing their CON-CAN were Dagat, Bayaning Tsuper, and 1-Tahanan.

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Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair George Garcia said they are expecting more in the last three days of the filing.

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“Malaki-laki pa ang hinihintay rating magpa-file. 160 lahat ang PL (We are still waiting for more [party-lists] to file. There are 160 PLs),” Garcia said during a press conference.

Twelve senatorial bets filed their COCs for next year’s polls – Warlito Bovier, Wilson Aclan, Maria Charito Billones, Jerson Ares, Ben Tulfo, Primo Capon Jr., Leodegario Estrella, Sonny Matula, Relly Jose Jr., Richard Nicolas, Rasta Man, and Virginia Sabit.

As of Saturday, 70 senatorial bets and 73 party-lists have filed their COCs.

Garcia also said they are preparing a contingency plan for the last two days of the filing period, as they expect candidates to flock to the Manila Hotel Tent City on Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 7-8).

“Palagi ang pagdagsa ng mga kandidato ay nangyayari sa huling araw ng filing (The influx of candidates usually happens during the last day of the filing),” he said.

Meanwhile, 11,393 aspirants have expressed their intention to run in the May 2025 midterm polls, based on the data provided by the Comelec, as of 7 p.m. on Oct. 4.

Of the figure, 78.93 percent, or 8,993, are male candidates, and 21.07 percent, or 2,400, are female.

More than 18,300 seats are up for grabs in next year’s national and local polls and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament elections.

These are 12 senators, 63 party-lists, 254 congressmen, 82 each for governors and vice governors, 800 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board), 149 each for city mayors and vice mayors, 1,690 members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council), 1,493 each for municipal mayors and vice mayors, and 11,984 members of the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council).

For the BARMM polls, the seats available are 40 Party Representatives and 25 members of Parliament (District Representatives).