Substitution and withdrawal

Yesterday was the most momentous day in Philippine politics as it was the deadline for the filing of withdrawal and substitution of candidates. Yes, that's right. Despite putting a deadline on the filing of the certificates of candidacy, the Commission on Elections still allows candidates to withdraw their bid to a position should they change their mind. They also allow the political party to change their fielded candidates for other reasons that they see fit. Because of that flexibility, this has become a point for some politicians to buy them time to decide on who should run.

We see that very evidently in the party of the administration. The President who was swamped by reporters at the COMELEC headquarters blatantly said that he will "file" on the day of the deadline to bid himself as the next Vice President. Technically speaking, he would really be filing as a substitute, but has defied the allotted period for the commission to actually file as a candidate. It is like putting the office's effort to waste, just like a child's game.

I don't know how others see the good in that but to me it comes off as a form of disrespect to a highly respected office. COMELEC claims it has been protecting the sanctity of the ballot since 1940, but they have failed to cover this aspect on the candidates. The Senate has verbally proposed to amend the binding rule of the commission on that matter and allow substitution for the most extreme cases -- such as a permanent disability, illness and death. This makes so much sense to me since the moment you file your COC, you should be already 100% sure to serve if given the chance to be elected.

It seems like we are in a real-life sitcom and the laughing effects just couldn't stop. We have been played by experts in the political arena so we become more hooked to their drama, that we eventually remember them which later on translates to votes. There are no in-betweens when you want an elected position and you don't wait until the last minute to decide, either you want it or not.

We've seen this show already, six years before when Rodrigo Duterte said he would never, ever, over his dead body run to become President. Lo and behold, a last minute substitution was made for him to be officially included in the list of the aspirants. I pity those who actually took the time during the filing dates. These are simple rules and deadlines that our leaders find ways on how to bend it.

Then again, the show continues and it has garnered top-ratings over the past few days. The shelf-life of this show's run depends on us alone too, if we want to tolerate this kind of thinking. Recently married celebrity Ellen Adarna (now Ramsay) has always said a million times on her social media pages that "You deserve what you tolerate." We just might have a taste of our own medicine.