A total of 66 senatorial aspirants, including televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, have been officially included in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) final list of candidates for the 2025 midterm elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that the list was finalized after removing 117 other aspirants deemed as nuisance candidates.
“We have 66 senatorial candidates, and we will release the ballot faces next week. You will see the photos of each candidate on the ballot in every town, including all 66 senators,” Garcia said in one media interview.
Below is the complete list of the 66 senatorial aspirants:
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) outlined the criteria used to determine nuisance candidates for the 2025 Senate race, following the removal of 117 aspirants from the final list.
According to the Comelec’s law department, factors such as the absence of a genuine inclination to serve the public, lack of political ideology or platforms, and the potential to undermine the election process were key considerations.
Standards for identifying nuisance candidates included the aspirant’s lack of a track record in advocacy or civic engagement, an unclear understanding of political ideas, and motivations for running that were unrelated to public service.
Additionally, candidates who failed to make meaningful connections with voters or did not demonstrate a commitment to public service were also excluded.
The law department also took into account whether candidates were affiliated with a political party, or lacked such affiliation, in making their determinations.