Several Facebook (FB) posts erroneously claim that only 43.3 million Filipinos actually voted in the May 9 elections. This figure is incorrect, based on data from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
On May 24 and 25, a graphic appeared claiming that out of the 52.9 million votes cast in the recent elections, more than 9.6 million were from “other planets,” implying a rigging of the electoral exercise. The original graphic was from a Twitter post that has since been taken down.
According to Comelec data, more than 67.5 million Filipinos registered to vote this election year, a 6.31% increase compared to the 2019 midterm polls. (Read VERA FILES FACT SHEET: The Filipino vote in May 2022)
Comelec Education and Information Department head James Jimenez declared in a May 18 tweet that voter turn-out for 2022 is the highest since the automation of polls in 2008.
Read the full story on VERA Files Fact Check.
