A TikTok video posted April 14 shows an image of a sample ballot and highlights three senatorial candidates from PDP Laban, Duterte's political party: arrested pastor Apollo Quiboloy, former presidential secretary Vic Rodriguez and actor Phillip Salvador.
The purported ballot lists Quiboloy at No. 52, Rodriguez at No. 55 and Salvador at No. 57.
The video then juxtaposes this with the party's official campaign posters, which show numbers that are one higher for each candidate (archived link).
"The numbers shown for three PDP-Laban candidates became different. Beware," says the video's Tagalog caption, suggesting the Comelec altered the PDP Laban candidates' ballot numbers in an attempt to confuse voters.
Several other posts on Facebook and TikTok reshared the claim.
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Screenshot of the false TikTok post taken April 16, 2025
Campaigning began in February in the Philippines for midterm elections that could set the table for the next presidential race and determine the political future of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte (archived link).
Talk show hosts, movie stars and a preacher jailed on sex trafficking charges are among the candidates vying for a dozen open Senate seats.
While the vote will fill more than 18,000 posts nationwide, it is the would-be senators who are facing a duty few bargained for -- serving as jurists in the impeachment trial of Rodrigo Duterte's eldest daughter.
The vice president, whose alliance with President Ferdinand Marcos has imploded...
By Matthew Knott and Nick Bonyhady April 19, 2025 — 5.54pm , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any tim...