Surge in new voters in some localities ‘very unusual, highly irregular’ – Comelec

Metro Manila, Philippines – A Commission on Elections (Comelec) task force is investigating the suspicious surge in the registration of new and transferring voters, agreeing with senators’ concerns that it is "very unusual."

During Monday’s Senate deliberations on the Comelec’s 2025 budget, Senator Nancy Binay raised concerns about Makati, while Senator Jinggoy Estrada spotlighted San Juan.

Binay is running for mayor of Makati in the May 2025 elections, while Estrada’s family had long ruled San Juan until Mayor Francis Zamora’s election in 2022.

Binay questioned how the Comelec recorded 18,555 newly registered voters in Makati, along with 38,031 transferees, totaling 56,586 new registrants, despite the loss of 10 EMBO barangays to Taguig City following a Supreme Court ruling.

“Yes, sang-ayon ang Comelec na very unusual kasi nga nabawasan ng 10 barangay ngunit 57,000 halos ang nadagdag na botante [Yes, the Comelec agrees that it’s very unusual because 10 barangays were lost, yet nearly 57,000 new voters were added],” Senator Imee Marcos said, speaking on behalf of the poll body whose budget she is defending.

Similarly, Estrada said the registered voters in San Juan have been increasing significantly since the 2016 national and local elections, his latest data being the 32.13% increase to 109,640 voters during the 2022 polls. For the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, the number jumped to 106,823, marking an increase of 42.36%.

“Bakit po ganun? I think, for me, it's highly irregular. The increase of registered voters in San Juan in NLE 2022 and BSKE 2023 is highly irregular compared to other LGUs and the national registered voters,” Estrada said.

[Translation: Why is that? I think, for me, it’s highly irregular. The increase in registered voters in San Juan in the 2022 NLE and 2023 BSKE is highly irregular compared to other LGUs and the national registered voters.]

“You know, if these issues will not be resolved, no other candidates from other parties, will never have a chance of being elected as public officials in San Juan. Laging kung sino man ang sabihin ni yung gag*ng mayor namin doon, yun lang ang boboto nila. Wala nang pagkakatoon dahil meron sila 30,000 flying voters,” he added.

[Translation: You know, if these issues are not resolved, no other candidates from other parties will ever have a chance of being elected as public officials in San Juan. Whoever our foolish mayor there supports, that’s who they’ll vote for. There’s no opportunity because they have 30,000 flying voters.]

Marcos said the Comelec agrees that it is “highly irregular,” but it cannot purge the voter list without court orders.

“Wala silang kapangyarihan na magtanggal ng mga botante. Ang maari lang, may mag-file sa korte ng exclusion (They don’t have the power to remove voters. The only option is for someone to file a petition for exclusion in court),” Marcos said.

Marcos said the Comelec has formed a task force to investigate the matter. She added that the poll body has received similar reports of suspicious increases in new voters in Cabanatuan, Cagayan de Oro, and Tawi-Tawi.

Citing information from the Comelec, Marcos said the task force is investigating potential abuse of barangay certifications as proof of identity and residence. The commission is recommending legislation to ban the use of barangay certifications for such purposes and has urged the Department of the Interior and Local Government to investigate erring barangay officials.