MANILA—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday released a preliminary list of candidates to allow for possible correction of names, but not to suggest that they have gotten the go-signal to run in next year’s midterm polls, its spokesman said.

The final list of candidates will be available by December 15 after the poll body has ruled on petitions to reject certain certificates of candidacy, said director James Jimenez.

The list posted on the Comelec website included those who had been named in its law department’s petition to be declared nuisance candidates for senator.

“They might think that they’re already in the clear but again, at this point, that would be a premature thing to say,” Jimenez told ABS-CBN News.

“This really is just for purposes of making sure that the records that we have and the names that we’re using are properly rendered on the ballot.”

The Comelec’s law department earlier sought to declare 95 senatorial aspirants nuisance candidates, mostly for supposedly lacking the financial capability to run a nationwide campaign.

Among them were lawyer Angelo De Alban, and Conrado Generoso and the rest of his Katipunan party’s senatorial ticket.

Generoso served as the spokesman of the Malacañang committee that drafted President Rodrigo Duterte’s version of a federal constitution.

PROPER SPELLING

The initial Comelec list for possible correction contained the names of 148 people who filed their COC for senator.

It included their name, political party, sex, and the name they wish to appear on the ballot.

For instance, Sen. JV Ejercito’s name on the ballot will be “Ejercito, Estrada JV.”

The name of Duterte’s long time aide, Christopher “Bong” Go, is listed as “Go, Bong Go” in the ballot name.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal’s name will appear in the ballot as “Macalintal, Macaromy.”

Former Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque’s name in the ballot will be “Roque, Harry ‘Spox.’”

Aside from the senatorial list, the Comelec also released the names of party-list groups and their nominees seeking to join the May 2019 elections.

“The initial list of candidates is really an opportunity for the people who filed their COCs to check the names we have on them are properly spelled, that the political parties are properly identified and again, proper spelling,” Jimenez said.

“Ang problema kasi natin, kapag nagkamali ang spelling natin, then the argument can be made na hindi yan ang binoto ko.”