COC Filing Signals the Start of the 2025 Philippine Election Season
Commission on Elections on Tuesday will once again open its doors to political aspirants vying for 18,280 elective positions in the May 2025 national and local elections.
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The filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) in the Philippines, often described as a “political circus,” traditionally marks the ceremonial start of the election season. This period, which often escalates and can sometimes turn violent, builds up until election day.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday will once again open its doors to political aspirants vying for 18,280 elective positions in the May 2025 national and local elections.
Positions to be filled in the May 12, 2025 elections include:
- 12 Senators
- 63 Party-List Representatives
- 254 Members of the House of Representatives
- 82 Governors
- 82 Vice Governors
- 800 Provincial Board Members
- 149 City Mayors
- 149 City Vice Mayors
- 1,690 City Councilors
- 1,493 Municipal Mayors
- 1,493 Municipal Vice Mayors
- 11,948 Municipal Councilors
- 25 BARMM Members of Parliament
- 40 BARMM Party Representatives
Totaling 18,280 positions.
“All systems go for the first day of filing certificates of candidacy,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced Monday, ahead of the event scheduled at the historic Manila Hotel.
From October 1 to 8, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Comelec will fulfill its “ministerial duty” of accepting COCs and Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) as long as they are properly completed. The daunting task of screening out nuisance candidates will follow.
In the 2022 elections, which included the presidential and vice-presidential races, Comelec received over 47,800 COCs and CONAs.
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