84 candidates vying for 12 Senate slots

MANILA, Philippines - The five-day filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) ended yesterday with 84 senatorial aspirants, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes said.

Brillantes said no untoward incident in any part of the country had been reported.

But the Comelec chief said there were candidates who got confused with the new features in the COC concerning the “name or words to appear on the ballots.”

“They failed to accurately fill out the COC forms. It should be first name or nickname but some filers wrote first name and nickname,” he said.

Of the 84 COCs, 48 were filed by independent bets.

The Marcos-founded Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) fielded the most bets at nine; followed by the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) with eight; three each for the Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, Democratic Party of the Philippines and Ang Kapatiran Party; two for the Nationalist People’s Coalition; one each for the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban, Makabayan, Social Justice Society and Akbayan.

Political dynasties?

Four candidates from the UNA and the LP – presidential cousin Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr.; reelectionist Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Ma. Lourdes “Nancy” Binay, the eldest daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay – were haunted by the issue of political dynasty, coming from clans of politicians.

Former Akbayan and senatorial candidate Rep. Rissa Hontiveros was also bombarded with the issue, but only because she used to criticize political dynasties like the Aquino family.

For the 2013 polls, however, she eventually joined the administration party and even filed her COC with Bam Aquino yesterday.

Hontiveros tried to evade persistent questions about political dynasties by making a litany of her plans once she is elected.

Bam Aquino, on the other hand, admitted that he volunteered to join the LP ticket of his cousin President Aquino to help push his “Tuwid na Daan” campaign.

Asked about political dynasty, Bam said that he is proud of his legacy, being a nephew of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and the late former President Corazon Aquino.

“I will not be ashamed of that. I think when it comes to family and politics, we have to look at the track records and in our case, I think we have a history of public service,” he said.

Cayetano echoed Bam Aquino’s statement.

“Don’t look at the trees, look at the forest... Check if an individual has a vision or if he is shortsighted. Is he for good governance? Meaning, even if someone does not have a relative (in government) but he is not sincere, don’t vote for him. And even if they are siblings but they have good visions, consider them,” Cayetano said.

Binay, for her part, said at first she was hesitant to run but her eldest daughter gave her the go-signal.

“I won’t do this unless I’m 100 percent committed. The mere fact that I filed means I’m 100 percent sure,” she told reporters.

She admitted that her father was against her running for public office.

But according to UNA secretary-general and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, the elder Binay was outvoted by the UNA executive committee.

On accusations that the Binay family is also establishing a political dynasty, Nancy maintained that they are elected by the people.

“We don’t appoint ourselves. We are subjecting ourselves to the electoral process,” she said.

During the interview, Vice President Binay was asked what would make his daughter a good senator.

“She is my daughter. Binay is associated with public service,” the Vice President said.

Old, new faces

Also among those who filed their COCs for senator is 65-year-old Victor Wood, once known as the “Jukebox King” for his many hits including the songs “Eternally,” “Crying Time,” “I Went to Your Wedding” and “I’m Sorry My Love.”

Wood ran for senator in the 2007 elections but lost.

Another senatorial candidate is a social activist and corporate executive.

Ricardo Penson, president and chief executive officer of Ausphil Tollways Corp. and proponent of the Katipunan-La Mesa-San Jose del Monte-Norzagaray toll way project, will run as an independent.

He said apolitical leaders like him could represent the people clamoring for “real change.”

Penson noted that the senatorial slates of the administration and opposition share common “guest candidates,” giving more premium to political alliances rather than the merits of candidates.

He said what the country needs now are not candidates with “right political connections but those who can truly push for reform-driven national development initiatives.”

Penson, also the chairman of the People’s Reform Initiative for Social Mobilization Foundation, a non-government organization advocating preparatory education through community resource initiatives, said aspiring for an elective post is every citizen’s right and should not be treated as a birthright of social families.

“Popularity and winnability need not be the basis for election to public office as these do not necessarily ensure effective performance in good governance,” he said.

CDP elects new president

Meanwhile, the Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines-Ang Partido ng Tunay na Demokrasya (CDP), which had recently been accredited as a national political party, held over the weekend its 2nd National Congress and elected Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the 2nd District of Cagayan de Oro City as its president.

Rodriguez took over the position of former environment undersecretary Lito Monico Lorenzana who was elected chairman.

The party also adopted Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Francis Escudero, and Bam Aquino as guest candidates.

In his video message to CDP members, Pimentel said, “Keep up the good work. Continue to organize, expand and recruit members to the party.”

He promised to pursue Centrist Democratic ideals if reelected to the Senate.

Escudero said he believes in the party’s principles adhering to human dignity and freedom. He said he also believes in providing a better future for the next generation.

Rodriguez had been a member of the Centrist Democratic Movement Federation (CDMF) – the predecessor of the CDP – since 2011. Prior to officially joining the party, he was the one who encouraged the members of the CDMF to consider establishing a centrist democratic party.

Lorenzana revealed that he waited 40 years to see his dream of establishing a centrist democratic party come to fruition.

Some of the friends he had worked with in the past decades have passed on, including NGO worker Rey Teves.

The CDP was officially accredited as a national political party by the Comelec last September.

Also elected as new officers of CDP were Lorelyn Turtosa-Dumaug, secretary-general; Nenita Manongsong, vice president-Luzon; Rey Uzhmar Padit, vice president-Visayas; and Jorday Jay Antolin, vice president-Mindanao.

“Our priority is to strengthen the party and recruit new members: educating them on the basic principles and ideals the party adheres to: human dignity, social market economy, subsidiarity, among others,” Rodriguez said during the National Congress held at the Regine’s Farm in Silang, Cavite.

“The CDP is a real political party which is ideology-based, with a party platform and program, dues-paying members, internal democracy and continuous party membership-building and education – even off-election season,” he added.

Rodriguez said that he and the members of the National Council are going around the country to conduct basic orientation seminars and to give support to the candidates of the party all over the country.