Comelec mulls allowing party-list groups to field 10 nominees

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday its plan to require party-list groups participating in next year's midterm polls to submit up to 10 nominees, doubling the current limit of five.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said that once 10 names are submitted, substitutions will no longer be accepted.

Garcia said that party-lists should be able to comply with this new rule due to their large memberships.

"It is highly unlikely that all 10 will die, that all 10 will get sick, and all 10 will have excuses... We will require 10 so that there will be somebody sure to be left in the list and that fielding 10 new nominees will be unnecessary," the poll body's chairperson said.

Garcia said this aims to ensure fairness and prevent controversies, which have arisen in past elections over the substitution of party-list nominees.

Previously, the Comelec en banc approved a proposal to limit the substitution period for candidates withdrawing their candidacy. According to the new guidelines, Comelec will no longer accept withdrawals of certificates of candidacy (COC) after October 8, the deadline for submitting COCs for the May 2025 elections.

The COC filing period will commence on October 1.