An initial 66 out of 183 aspirants for Senate seats would be included in the official list of candidates for next year’s polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

“‘Yung natitira pa, nire-review sa kasalukuyan upang malaman kung sino pa pwede isama doon sa 66 at sino ‘yung dapat tanggalin, and declared na nuisance candidates,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said in an interview.

He said the law department is expected to submit its recommendation on the official list of candidates to the Commission on banc on October 16.

Garcia assured that the certificates of candidacy (COC) of the remaining candidates are undergoing tight scrutiny.

Those who want to challenge the candidacy of an individual can file a petition to cancel the COC or declare a candidate as a nuisance until October 14 only.

Garcia said the poll body has so far received five petitions against incumbents on the basis of the candidates’ conviction by the Office of the Ombudsman and thus, they are supposedly perpetually disqualified to hold public office. (PNA)