(ABS-CBN) MANILA — Some senators on Monday flagged the supposedly ballooning number of voters in parts of the country ahead of the May 2025 elections.
During the budget hearing for the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Senator Nancy Binay drew attention to cases in their home areas of San Juan and Makati City.
Senator Imee Marcos, sponsor of the poll body’s budget, said there were also similar reports in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan de Oro, and Tawi-tawi.
Binay, who is running for Makati City Mayor next year after completing 2 terms in the Senate, pointed out that the increase in the number of voters in Makati came even after the loss of 10 barangays to neighboring Taguig City.
Citing information from the poll body, Marcos told the panel that there are over 18,000 new voters registered in Makati City while transferees were around over 30,000.
“Sa Makati yung bagong rehistro ay 18,555 sa dalawang distrito. Pero yung transfer mula sa ibang syudad, ibang munisipyo, eh nasa 38,031. Kaya kung idadagdag yung dalawa, yung bago at saka transfer, nasa 56,586,” Marcos said.
Marcos said Comelec agreed that the uptick was “unusual.”
“Yes, sang ayon ang Comelec na very unusual. Kasi nga, nabawasan ng 10 barangay ngunit 57,000 halos ang nadagdag na botante,” Marcos said.
“Sa ngayon, ang pagkaalam natin, may nag-file na ng exclusion ng new registrants at transferees naka-pending na sa Municipal Trial Court. Sa bahagi naman ng Comelec nagbuo ng task force for the alleged increase in registrants in both districts 1 and 2 ng Makati,” Marcos said.
Estrada presented a similar trend in San Juan.
Senate President Francis Escudero noted that in the case of Makati, several registrants were using the same address.
Estrada said this may lead to the proliferation of flying voters.
Marcos said a task force created by the poll body wants to remove barangay certifications as proof of residence that can be used to register in a bid to better screen voters.
Marcos also said the matter maybe referred to the Department of Interior and Local Government.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III however flagged the poll body for making it difficult to file a complaint over this.
Marcos however indicated that the Comelec is limited by data privacy laws.