By JEN BAYLON

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified an election aspirant in Negros Occidental for the senatorial race in the 2025 midterm elections.

Jonry Gargarita, a 36-year-old criminology graduate of Barangay Progreso in Negros Occidental’s Binalbagan town, was declared a nuisance candidate by the Comelec last week.

“A notice of disqualification has been served to Gargarita,” provincial elections supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said yesterday.

Gargarita was among the 117 candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy for the midterm elections but were disqualified by Comelec’s First and Second Divisions, Ananoria said.

He previously ran for the Negros Occidental vice gubernatorial position in 2022, securing 70,374 votes against incumbent Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer.

The decision follows recommendations from the Comelec Law Department, emphasizing the commission’s commitment to ensuring a credible electoral process.

According to Comelec, nuisance candidates are those without a serious intent to run for the elections.

The poll body has been resolving petitions for nuisance candidates this month./JB, WDJ