Commission on Elections-Davao (Comelec-Davao) Assistant Regional Director lawyer Gay Enumerables reported on Wednesday that a total of 1,437 aspirants in the Davao Region filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2025 midterm elections during the eight-day filing period.
“This is based on the report given to us by election officer, but this is not yet final kay i-submit pa namo ni sa taas,” said Enumerables during the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.
For Davao City, Comelec-Davao said that a total of 98 candidates filed their COCs.
Six aspirants filed for the mayoralty position and four for vice mayor.
For the three congressional districts of Davao City, five candidates filed for the First District; three for the Second District; and five for the Third District.
Comelec-Davao added that for the City Council seats, 23 aspirants filed for the First District, 25 for the Second District, and 27 for the Third District.
Meanwhile, Enumerables dismissed rumors that a candidate filed for a withdrawal of COC.
“And yet until 5 p.m. of Tuesday, wala talaga,” she said.
An online post of a national broadsheet has circulated on Tuesday morning claiming that former President Rodrigo Duterte withdrew his COC for mayor of Davao City and will file his COC for Senator.
Also on Tuesday, rumors circulated online that Vice President Sara Duterte will resign to replace the former president as mayoral candidate.
However, Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) denied the said false informations.
In a statement, HTL clarified the political intentions of the former president saying contrary to misinformation circulating in the media, the former president has not filed his candidacy for Senator in the 2025 elections.
“He is running for the position of Mayor of Davao City, and he remains committed to returning to local governance and serving the people of Davao,” it said.
