JUST IN: The Commission on Elections has released an updated tentative list for national candidates in #Halalan2022. The number of presidential aspirants has been trimmed down to 11 from 15. | via Comelec website pic.twitter.com/tHyb5WWmdp

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) January 6, 2022

The Commission on Elections has further trimmed down the list of presidential aspirants to 11, removing 4 bets including a certain Maria Aurora Marcos from the list.

The female Marcos, a businesswoman from Tarlac, filed her candidacy at the Sofitel Harbor Garden Tent in Pasay City last October. She also filed her candidacy for president in the 2016 polls but was declared a nuisance bet.

• This 'Marcos' wants to be president

Another Marcos, presidential aspirant Tiburcio Marcos, was also removed the list after being declared a nuisance candidate.

In a statement, presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. commended Comelec for for its decision declaring Tiburcio Marcos and Maria Aurora Marcos nuisance candidates.

"We give it to the members of this august body for seeing through the schemes and machinations of certain political camps to make a mockery of the electoral process by resorting to gutter politics," Marcos spokesman Vic Rodriguez said.

From an initial pool of 97 individuals who registered their candidacy for president in October, the Comelec has trimmed the list to 11 contenders, including Marcos, Jr., whose presidential run is being challenged by several groups.

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The Comelec has also junked a petition by Tiburcio Marcos challenging the candidacy of Bongbong Marcos. In his petition, Tiburcio questioned the true identity of Marcos, Jr., claiming the “real” Marcos, Jr. was dead “since 1975.”

• Comelec junks petition questioning Marcos Jr.'s identity

Marcos Jr. and his 2022 running-mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio emerged as the most preferred contenders for the two highest posts in next year's elections in the latest Pulse Asia survey released last month.

• Bongbong, Sara lead latest Pulse Asia poll for 2022 presidential, VP race

Of 2,400 respondents polled on Dec. 1 to 6, more than half or 53 percent said they would vote Marcos for president, while 20 percent said they would vote for his rival Vice President Leni Robredo.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso and Sen. Manny Pacquiao each got the support of 8 percent of respondents, followed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson with 6 percent.

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