Philip Salvador gets ‘No. 58’ on ballot as Singson voids senatorial bid

Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Intramuros, Manila. – Comelec Resolution No. 11097 signed by Chairman George Erwin Garcia, shows that actor Philip Salvador will get the 58th spot on the ballot sheet for the May polls as former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson was officially removed from the list of senatorial bets in the midterm election. INQUIRER FILES
BIÑAN, Laguna — Actor Philip Salvador got the 58th spot on the ballot sheet for the May polls as former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson was officially removed from the list of senatorial bets in the midterm election.
Based on a Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution released Tuesday, 12 senatorial aspirants were assigned new numbers on the ballot paper as a result of Singson’s withdrawal from the race.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia signed Resolution No. 11097, which affected not only Salvador but also sect leader Apollo Quiboloy and 10 other candidates for senator.
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But even if Singson was removed from the roster, the total number of senatorial aspirants for the May election stood at 66 with the addition of Subair Mustapha, whose candidacy was restored after the Supreme Court overturned the Comelec’s decision to declare him a nuisance candidate.
Mustapha would take the 47th spot on the ballot sheet.
The new arrangement under a fresh set of ballot papers that the Comelec plans to print starting January 22 would be:
47. Mustapha, Subair
48. Olivar, Jose Jessie
49. Ong, Doc Willie
50. Pacquiao, Manny
51. Pangilinan, Kiko
52. Querubin, Ariel
53. Quiboloy, Apollo
54. Ramos, Danilo
55. Revillame, Willie
56. Rodriguez, Atty. Vic
57. Sahidulla, Nur-ana
58. Salvador, Philip Ipe
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The arrangement of senatorial bets’ names from 59th to 66th will stay, according to the Comelec resolution.
On January 16, Singson officially filed his certificate of withdrawal from the 2025 senatorial election at Palacio del Gobernador, citing health reasons.
Two days before, the Supreme Court blocked Comelec’s move to declare Mustapha as a nuisance candidate, leading to the discarding of at least 6 million printed ballot sheets worth P132 million that excluded Mustapha.