Politicians promise free burial, US statehood

MANILA, Philippines - One candidate arrived dressed like Indiana Jones. Another promised free burial for all Filipinos. A woman said graduating with honors from the nation’s top state university exempted her from age requirements.

Many are likely to be dismissed as nuisance candidates. On the first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy yesterday, however, every aspirant for the presidency had his or her 15 minutes of fame, with mass media chronicling their avowed hopes and campaign promises for a better Philippines.

As of 4:45 p.m. yesterday, a total of 22 presidential hopefuls had filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for president at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) main office in Intramuros, Manila, including unknown and perennial bets. 

Among them is Arturo Reyes, 65, of Sampaloc, Manila who is seeking the presidency with a promise to make the Philippines a state of the United States and provide free burial for all.

He claimed to be a retired US Navy man assigned in Japan, Hawaii, Virginia and California.

Reyes said he would push for the return of the US military bases and “re-annexation of the Philippines as US trust territory for ultimate admission as 51st state of the USA.”

He also committed to provide free college education.

Reyes also vowed to “legalize” the four seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall and eliminate the rainy and dry seasons.

Perennial presidential bet Ely Pamatong filed anew his COC for president and reiterated his desire to re-claim the Spratly Islands from China. 

Pamatong added that he is the only presidential candidate who has a complete program for all aspects of governance, as he appealed to voters to give him a chance. 

He said that he could beat top presidential bets Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe.

Pamatong, the self proclaimed commander-in-chief of the alleged paramilitary group called the United States Allied Freedom Fighters of the East (USAFFE), vowed yesterday to retake the territory occupied by China in the disputed Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea if he becomes president.

He would also retake Sabah and Borneo from Malaysia.

Sel Hope Kang, who claims to be a University of the Philippines graduate, filed her COC at the Comelec main office in her quest to be the third female president of the country.   

In jeans and purple shirt, Kang said that she graduated from UP Diliman with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics.

She asked for the people’s support and that she is only a simple person.

“I am not perfect but I am trying,” Kang said.

Meanwhile, Marcos loyalist Oliver Lozano said yesterday that he plans to file his COC for president because Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has opted to just run for vice president.

“I am ready and willing to become an alternative presidential candidate in the 2016 election,” he said.

Lozano said he was responding to the call of the Marcos loyalists and other groups to run for president after Marcos decided to run as an independent vice presidential bet.

He said his platform would be centered on the ideals and vision of the late President Ferdinand Marcos to make the country “great again.”

“The loyalists were orphaned by the death of President Marcos; I offer myself to be a foster father to pursue the loyalist vision of greatness,” Lozano said.

In Baguio City, Comelec officials rejected the certificate of candidacy for president filed by Paula Sagayo, a housekeeper from Itogon, Benguet who dreams of becoming the country’s president.

Poll officials refused to accept Sagayo’s COC because the local Comelec office is not mandated to accept presidential bets and advised her to file her application at the poll body’s main office in Intramuros, Manila.

Sagayo, who claims to have a full ticket including a vice president and 12 candidates for senator, vowed to go to Manila to file her COC. 

“I have to talk to my ticket mates who are at the local public utility jeepney staging station along Lakandula Street,” she told an amused group of reporters in Baguio City.

After Sagayo, the local Liberal Party ticket led by incumbent Rep. Nicasio Aliping filed their COCs, the first local ticket to file in a supposed multi-cornered battle for the city’s posts in 2016.

Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said yesterday that the poll body would come out on Dec. 10 with the official list of candidates that will appear on the ballots to be used in the May 2016 polls.

In a press briefing, Bautista noted they intend to come up with the official list of candidates vying for the 18,069 positions up for grabs in next year’s elections.

“Our deadline for ourselves is Dec. 10 because on Jan. 10, 2016, the election period will start. We hope to have the final lists by that time,” he said.– Perseus Echminada, Artemio Dumlao