Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia on Wednesday dismissed online allegations that about 17 million Filipinos “overvoted” during the recently concluded 2025 midterm elections.
In a press conference, Garcia clarified that while overvotes did occur, the actual number of affected voters was significantly lower—approximately 1.3 million individuals. He explained that these voters marked more than the maximum of 12 candidates allowed for the senatorial race on their ballots.
“Actually, the 17 million figure refers to overvotes—not people, but votes,” Garcia said in Filipino. “This number represents the total overvotes recorded across the country. If you divide that by 12, the number of senatorial slots, you get about 1.3 million voters who overvoted.”
The clarification came after former Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon took to social media to question an alleged 18 million overvotes, calling the number “absurd.”
Garcia noted that the 1.3 million overvoters represent only about 2 percent of the 57 million voters who participated in the senatorial race. Voter turnout for the 2025 elections was 82.20 percent.
Meanwhile, Garcia also reported that the Random Manual Audit (RMA), a key transparency measure required by law, is ongoing. “So far, there have been no discrepancies found. Zero variance. Hopefully, this continues because it proves the reliability of our voting machines,” he said.
In a related development, the Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier reported that election-related incidents in 2025 have tripled compared to those in the 2022 elections, prompting renewed calls for heightened security measures in future polls.
