# 2025 Philippine general election

The 2025 Philippine general election will be held on May 12, 2025. During this midterm election, where the winners take office mid-way the term of President Bongbong Marcos, all 317 seats in the House of Representatives and 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate will be contested to form the 20th Congress of the Philippines. Local elections will also be held for the executive and legislative branches in every province, city, and municipality in the country. The first regular election to the Bangsamoro Parliament was supposed to be held within the general election after it was postponed in 2022 but will now be held on October 13, 2025.
This will be the first general election to be held following the 2023 Philippine barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. This election will also be the first automated election to be overseen by the South Korean firm Miru Systems after the Commission of Elections (COMELEC) disqualified Smartmatic from participating in future elections.

## Background
### Voter registration

Philippine citizens must be at least 18 years old by noontime of election day. In addition, Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) must have a valid Philippine passport. COMELEC implemented the Register Anywhere Program in July 2022, converting shopping malls, certain churches, and plazas as offices for the program. OFWs are supposed to register for the elections by going to their nearest Philippine embassy.
In May 2023, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) recorded a total of 68 million registered voters. The commission estimated an increase of three million voters for the 2025 elections, creating a total of 71 million voters registered to vote in the election.

### Implementation of Miru Systems
#### Disqualification of Smartmatic

On November 29, 2023, the COMELEC disqualified Smartmatic from all procurement processes conducted by the agency amid the company's involvement with the alleged bribery schemes concerning COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista, citing an "imminent threat to the strength and integrity" of the country's electoral process.

#### Public bidding for the automated voting system

On December 14, COMELEC conducted its first public bidding for a contract for the full automation system with the transparency audit count (FASTrAC) project amounting to a maximum of ₱18.827 billion. The South Korean firm Miru Systems was the sole bidder for the contract in the first round of bidding; its bid for the contract was rejected due to issues with its associated documents.
Later, on December 25, 2023, election watchdog Democracy Watch Philippines urged COMELEC to review Miru Systems' bid for the FASTrAC, expressing concern over electoral failures in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Iraq whose elections Miru Systems oversaw. The company denied such failures, asserting that the two countries had "continued to show trust" in the company.
The second round of bidding was conducted on January 8, 2024, in which six companies expressed interest in placing a bid. Of the six companies, only Miru Systems submitted a bid for the contract. In its second bid, the company was deemed eligible in its bid after fully complying with the required documents. COMELEC began its post-qualification evaluation of Miru Systems on January 23.
COMELEC unanimously awarded the contract for the lease of automated vote counting machines (VCMs) to Miru Systems on February 21. The contract, amounting to ₱17.9 billion, was finalized on March 11.

#### Reactions and aftermath

After the contract was signed, Cagayan de Oro 2nd district House representative Rufus Rodriguez criticized COMELEC for not obtaining the report lodged by Miru Systems' critics, deeming it a "big negligence". In her privilege speech, Senator Risa Hontiveros cast doubt in the lack of bidders for the FASTrAC contract and raised the possibility of "bid suppression" in the bidding process. One of Miru Systems' local partners, St. Timothy Construction Corporation, was subpoenaed by the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms due to its ties to companies blacklisted by the Department of Public Works and Highways and a "sudden infusion of money" into the company in 2022.
On April 17, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that the COMELEC committed a "grave abuse of discretion" in their disqualification of Smartmatic in bidding for the VCM contracts for the midterm election, but stated that its ruling does not nullify the bidding process that awarded Miru Systems the VCM contract, leaving the company as the provider of the VCMs for the election. In response, COMELEC filed a motion of reconsideration to the court.
More than 100,000 VCMs will be replaced in preparation for the election. Rizal 2nd district House representative Dino Tanjuatco called for the VCMs to be reused instead to allocate more funds to address the "high costs of goods". Smartmatic called for COMELEC to "utilize the warranty" of 93,977 precinct-based optical mark reader (OMR) machines and their accompanying election management system (EMS) that remain under the ownership of the commission.
On July 9, SAGIP House representative Rodante Marcoleta alleged that Miru Systems bribed COMELEC to win its contract for the FASTrAC, attributing his claims to offshore bank accounts worth ₱120 million in deposits. Garcia denied the allegations as "baseless", asserting that "he has no foreign bank account". Consequently, Garcia requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the individuals responsible for Marcoleta's allegations.
On July 16, the Supreme Court en banc directed former Caloocan House representative Edgar Erice to file comment on the confidentiality and protective gag order motion filed by Miru Systems on the 2025 poll case. Earlier, Erice filed a certiorari case against the ₱18-billion contract awarded by the COMELEC to Miru Systems. Erice also filed a motion with the court to cite COMELEC Chairman George Garcia in contempt of court for violation of the sub judice rule alleging Garcia's prohibited remarks on the pending case.
In November 2024, COMELEC announced that Miru Systems had fully delivered all of the ordered 110,620 automated counting machines (ACMs), one month ahead of schedule.

#### Other contracts awarded

On April 8, the ₱1.4 billion contract to provide secure electronic transmission services (SETS) was awarded to a joint venture of iOne Resources Incorporated and Ardent Networks. On June 25, a joint venture of Sequent Tech and SMS Global Technologies won the contract to deliver an online voting tool for overseas voting.

### Proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitution

On February 8, 2024, Constitution Day, President Bongbong Marcos affirmed his support for the efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution for "economic matters alone", pertaining to the Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 and 7, which largely aims to insert the phrase "unless otherwise provided by law" in select provisions to allow Congress to lift or relax present economic restrictions in the Constitution.
Marcos called for a constitutional plebiscite to be held in conjunction with the 2025 Philippine general election, noting the high costs of holding a separate vote. Garcia initially refused the notion of holding the plebiscite within the general election, citing a Supreme Court ruling prohibits the simultaneous conduct of a regular election and a constitutional plebiscite. However, Garcia would later change his stance and support conducting the two votes at once, announcing plans to use new VCMs and extend voting hours in anticipation of a possible plebiscite.

### Schedule of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections

On June 27, 2023, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that Republic Act 11935, which postponed barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled in December 2022 to October 2023, was unconstitutional, but allowed the 2023 Philippine barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) elections to push through in its schedule, citing practical and legal implications. In view of the decision, the Supreme Court also determined that the next BSKE elections will be held in December 1, 2025, while succeeding elections will be held every three years thereafter on the first Monday of the month.
On July 17, Garcia filed a motion for reconsideration to the Supreme Court, seeking to move the 2025 BSKE elections to 2026 to ensure that the terms of the barangay officials elected in 2023 are "definite and regular". On May 8, 2024, Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte filed House Bill 10344, which aims to postpone the next BSKE elections to October 26, 2026, arguing that a shortened term for barangay officials "diminishes the obligations" that they hold.

### Electoral reforms

On April 12, 2023, Garcia proposed a "hybrid election system", which entails the use of both automated and manual election systems for the 2025 election.
On its rules for this election, the commission substantially reduced the time period for substitutions due to withdrawals to within the filing of candidacies. Previously, the commission allowed for substitutions after the filing of candidacies was done. The practice of placeholder candidates initially filing candidacies to buy time for the actual candidate was extensively used in recent elections. After the filing of candidacies, substitutions can only be allowed by death or disqualification.

## Issues
### Security concerns

On October 21, 2023, Senator Francis Tolentino urged COMELEC to formulate policies regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in campaign materials to uphold the "principle of truthfulness". Later, on May 29, 2024, Garcia wrote to the COMELEC en banc seeking to prohibit the use of deepfakes and AI in campaigning for the 2025 election following the circulation of a deepfake of President Marcos appearing to have ordered an attack on China amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea. Garcia's proposal was backed by Senators Bong Revilla and Win Gatchalian, though the latter called for the commission to specify the policies on AI as soon as possible, remarking that "AI is evolving every day".
On January 9, 2025, COMELEC declared 38 cities and municipalities nationwide as election hotspots under its highest red-level category due to grave peace and order situation in relation to the election. Orange-level alerts were issued for 177 areas while the lowest level, yellow, was assigned to 188 locations.

### Premature campaigning

In May 2024, the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) published research indicating at least 14 potential Senatorial candidates collectively spent a total of ₱3.5 million to boost their posts on Facebook. The PCIJ indicated that Senator Bong Go spent ₱1 million alone on Facebook advertising, being followed by former Senator Bam Aquino and Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. As such spending is not subject to electoral policy limiting campaign expenditures, Garcia moved to begin the ban on premature campaigning in October 2024, when candidates are due to file their candidacies for public office.

### Election-related incidents

On October 8, 2024, clashes between supporters of rival politicians on the last day of candidate registration in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur left a barangay watchman dead and six people injured, one of them critically. That same day, an attempt was made to steal a certificate of candidacy at a COMELEC office in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental.
On October 19, a candidate for councilor in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, was shot dead in an ambush by unidentified suspects that also injured his wife. On November 17, a candidate for vice mayor was shot dead in Tantangan, South Cotabato. On November 23, the assistant COMELEC officer for Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, was shot dead, followed on November 26 by the acting COMELEC officer for Nunungan, Lanao del Norte. On December 7, Ponciano Onia Jr., a reelectionist councilor of Umingan, Pangasinan, and concurrent national president of Abono Partylist, was shot dead in an ambush. On December 19, a reelectionist councilor was shot dead in Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte. On December 21, the provincial election supervisor of Sulu survived an ambush that killed his brother in Zamboanga City. On December 25, a petitioner who complained about the presence of flying voters was shot dead in Pualas, Lanao del Sur.
On January 18, 2025, a candidate for councilor in Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao del Norte, was shot dead in Midsayap, Cotabato. On January 25, a reelectionist municipal councilor of Caoayan, Ilocos Sur was shot dead in Vigan. On February 4, Anwar Saluwang, the mayor of Nabalawag in the Special Geographic Area of Cotabato, was arrested in Davao City for violating the nationwide gun ban imposed as part of the election. On February 11, a vice mayoral candidate of Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, survived an ambush on his vehicle. That same day, three people were arrested for trying to extort ₱90 million (US$1.83 million) from two municipal candidates in Enrile, Cagayan by claiming to be COMELEC-connected IT specialists who could rig the election results in their favor. On February 24, Omar Samama, the reelectionist vice mayor of Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, was shot and injured while speaking at an event. On February 28, COMELEC filed cybercrime charges against a vice-mayoral candidate in Reina Mercedes, Isabela, after he posted a video on social media appearing to demonstrate a method on how to tamper with the election results. That same day, the convoy of a mayoral candidate of Pidigan, Abra, was ambushed in Pilar, killing two people including a barangay chairman.

## Electoral system

In the Philippines, congressional and local elections, excluding the regional and barangay levels, have been synchronized to be held on the second Monday of May every three years, starting in 1992. Presidents and vice presidents have six-year terms, so they are only elected in even-numbered years (1992, 1998, and so on). Elections where the presidency is not on the ballot are called midterm elections, and occur in odd-numbered years (1995, 2001, and so on).
Every seat up for election is voted on separately. Since 2010, general elections have been automated, with voters shading an oval next to their chosen candidate. For executive positions, elections are decided via the first-past-the-post voting (FPTP) system, where the voter has one choice. Elections to the Senate and local legislatures are held via multiple non-transferable vote, where the voter has x number of choices depending on the number of seats up for election (12 in the case of the Senate), and the x candidates with the highest number of votes win. For House elections, each voter has two votes, one via FPTP, and the other via a modified party-list proportional representation system.
Elections are organized, run, and adjudicated by the COMELEC, an independent governmental body. Appeals are allowed under certain conditions to the Regional Trial Courts, the Congress, or the Supreme Court, sitting as the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, the Senate Electoral Tribunal, or the Presidential Electoral Tribunal depending on the election being appealed.

### Schedule

On May 29, 2024, COMELEC released the schedule for activities on the conduct of the 2025 elections.
| Activity | Start | End |
| Voter registration | February 12, 2024 | September 30, 2024 |
| Overseas voter registration | December 9, 2022 | September 30, 2024 |
| Holding of political conventions | September 1, 2024 | September 28, 2024 |
| Filing of certificates of candidacies | October 1, 2024 | October 8, 2024 |
| Deadline in substituting a candidate for it to appear on the ballot | October 8, 2024 | October 8, 2024 |
| Election period Prohibition on carrying and usage of firearms Prohibition on suspending from office of local elective officials | January 12, 2025 | June 11, 2025 |
| Campaign period for nationally elected positions | February 11, 2025 | May 10, 2025 |
| Campaign period for locally elected positions | March 28, 2025 | May 10, 2025 |
| Voting for overseas voters | April 13, 2025 | May 12, 2025 |
| Election silence (Maundy Thursday and Good Friday) | April 17, 2025 | April 18, 2025 |
| Voting for local absentee voters in the Philippines | April 28, 2025 | April 30, 2025 |
| Liquor ban | May 11, 2025 | May 12, 2025 |
| Election day; voting for non-absentee voters in the Philippines | May 12, 2025 | May 12, 2025 |
| Term of office of winning candidates for local officials and House representatives | June 30, 2025 | June 30, 2028 |
| Term of office of winning candidates for senators | June 30, 2025 | June 30, 2031 |

## Parties and coalitions

Political parties in the Philippines forge political coalitions and alliances in the run-up to the general election as part of the country's multi-party system. The coalitions and alliances listed below are ordered alphabetically and reflect political agreements and endorsements as of June 2024.
Parties and coalitions participating in the 2025 Philippine general election :
| Coalition | Parties endorsed | Current House Seats | Current Senate Seats |
| Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas Formed May 8, 2024 | ▌ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) ▌ Lakas–CMD ▌ Nacionalista Party (NP) ▌ National Unity Party (NUP) ▌ Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) | 187 / 318 | 11 / 24 |
| KiBam Announced February 22, 2024 | ▌ Akbayan ▌ Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP) ▌ Liberal Party (LP) | 11 / 318 | 1 / 24 |
| Makabayan Announced June 26, 2024 | ▌ ACT Teachers ▌ GABRIELA ▌ Kabataan Partylist ▌ Bayan Muna | 3 / 318 | 0 / 24 |
| Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Announced April 19, 2024 | ▌ Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) ▌ Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) ▌ Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma (PDR) ▌ Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS) | 6 / 318 | 3 / 24 |