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The Commission on Elections has denied the senatorial bid of some 70 individuals, its spokesman said Tuesday.

Director James Jimenez did not identify the disqualified aspirants, but said a certificate of finality on the decision will be issued if the candidates fail to file an appeal within 5 days after being notified that their election bids were junked.

Meanwhile, the number of party-list groups seeking to join the May polls was down from 182 to 154 as of Tuesday. The figure may still slide as Comelec continued to clean up the list, Jimenez told radio DZMM.

The final list of candidates, including those running for local positions, should be ready for the printing of official ballots by the third the month, he said.

The Comelec law department earlier sought to reject the candidacies of 95 senatorial aspirants deemed as "nuisance," mainly for supposedly lacking funds for a nationwide campaign.

The body's finance office also sought the perpetual disqualification of former Sen. Sergio Osmeña III for allegedly failing to submit his campaign expense reports for 2010 and 2016.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is also facing petitions seeking his disqualification from re-election.

The senator, they argue, is serving his second and final term, having first assumed the post following a successful election protest in 2011, which left him with only a year and 10 months to serve.

DZMM, 8 January 2019