Comelec starts 90-day senatorial campaign period

The official 90-day campaign period for senatorial candidates and party-list groups in the May 2025 elections began on Tuesday, February 11.

A total of 66 individuals are running for senator and 156 groups are contesting on the party-list ballot.

Prior to this period, candidates like Deputy Speaker Camille Villar and Senator Imee Marcos have already spent a combined P4 billion on TV and radio ads, according to a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

The campaign period allows the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to regulate election propaganda in mass media and requires candidates to declare their expenditures. Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia reiterated reminders for national candidates, warning that stricter measures will be imposed against non-compliant materials.

With close to 69 million eligible voters, issues such as inflation, salary, and jobs will likely influence voter decisions during the campaign period, while tight restrictions on vote-buying and abuse of state resources are being implemented.