We have seen a slow start in the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) in various centers set up all over the country by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for all those who want to run in the coming May 2025 national and location elections (NLE). Mostly reelectionists and come-backing senators have been the first ones to file their COCs at the special Comelec filing center at the Manila Hotel.
There has been notably a slow trickle of wannabes for the 12 slots in the Senate elections.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia, however, attributed this to the traditional beliefs or “pamahiin” of candidates, while others believe in a “lucky” number or day, or the Chinese feng shui even. The one-week filing of COCs ends on Tuesday, Oct. 8 and of course, eight is considered a lucky number.
So perhaps, there might be a huge number of COC filers, as well as the usual Filipino mentality of beating the deadline.
As of the fifth day of filing, a total of 70 aspirants filed COCs for the Senate race. In the last senatorial elections in 2022, a total of 178 individuals filed COCs but Comelec qualified only 64 to be included in the official ballots.
The left-leaning Makabayan bloc in the 19th Congress has been able to field 11 candidates in their ticket. The Makabayan Senate slate is led by incumbent ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro. Displaying the true spirit of unity, all the Makabayan senatoriables arrived together and submitted their COCs at the Comelec last Friday. Their battle cry is to end the pervasive political dynasties in our country.
Questions were raised, however, over Castro’s being allowed to file her COC despite being recently convicted for alleged child abuse of Lumad students six years ago. A regional trial court (RTC) in Tagum City convicted Castro and her co-accused last July 15. Castro, however, argued their group’s appeal is pending at the same court.
Speaking for the seven-man poll body, Garcia asserted only if the court decision is “final and executory” can they automatically disqualify a person convicted of a criminal offense. A veteran election lawyer, Garcia invoked the Omnibus Election Code that allows due process to persons, even those convicted by the court, to proceed with their political aspirations. Under the country’s judicial system, lower court decisions are appealable all the way to the Supreme Court (SC).
However, Garcia declared, the Comelec “may automatically disqualify” dismissed Bamban mayor Alice Guo, who reportedly plans to seek reelection. Garcia explained the Comelec may prevent Guo from joining the mayoralty race because of the Aug.12 ombudsman order that perpetually disqualified her from holding public office.
The ombudsman ordered the immediate dismissal of Guo as mayor for grave misconduct after a Philippine online gaming operator (POGO) was found running without valid license and running instead scams and other illegal online activities near the town hall in Bamban, Tarlac.
According to her legal counsel Stephen David, Guo is purportedly being prodded by her Bamban constituents to run again. Guo is currently detained at the Pasig City Jail Female Dormitory for qualified human trafficking case. She is also facing separate graft charges on the POGO at the Valenzuela RTC.
A quo warranto case against Guo, alias Guo Hua Ping, filed by the Solicitor General is pending at the Manila RTC Branch 34. She was accused of misrepresenting of self as a Filipino citizen in her birth certificate, Philippine passport, voter’s registration record and COC filed at the Comelec. A separate electoral offense is pending resolution by the Comelec for the same “misrepresentation” based on Guo’s COC filed during her first mayoralty run in the May 2022 local elections in Tarlac.
Although an ombudsman decision is not yet final, Garcia stressed the dismissal order is “immediately executory.” Thus, the Commission is obliged to cancel Guo’s COC, he pointed out. She could only join the mayoralty race in Bamban if the SC issues a temporary restraining order against the ombudsman’s decision.
Garcia clarified though the Comelec still has the ministerial duty to accept the COC of Guo – if she indeed files her COC. Perhaps, due to her rise in public awareness – albeit out of notoriety – Guo might even seek higher office all the way to the Senate or to Congress to spite her tormentors. Just saying.
If she runs again, Guo must first satisfy item No.18 in the COC form: “I am a Filipino citizen.” In the new COC form, one of the 26 items to be filled up provided a commitment by the candidate “to allow the Comelec to make public the COC subject to redaction of certain personal information.”
Unlike the Makabayan bloc senatoriables, we did not see the same united front – not even a semblance of team spirit – from the 12-man Senate slate of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) raised the hands of the senatoriables of the newly formed administration-backed coalition of five major political parties. Except for presidential sister Sen. Imee, who conspicuously absented herself from the proclamation rally held at neutral grounds in Pasay City last Sept. 26.
The PDP-Laban bloc headed by their nominal chieftain, former president Rodrigo Duterte, fielded reelectionist Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and actor Philip Salvador. The three Duterte-backed candidates submitted their COCs together last Thursday.
Senators Imee, Go and Bato along with their four other re-electionist candidates – namely Alyansa bets Senate majority leader Francis “Tol” Tolentino, Senators Pia Cayetano, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid – are “guest” candidates of former president Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP). Namesake son, Senate president pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada who is now the PMP chieftain, expressed PMP’s support for PBBM’s legislative agenda although the party is not included in the Alyansa.
Anyway, we might still see more senatorial wannabes come out in the last two days of the Comelec filing of COCs ending tomorrow (Oct. 8). Let’s wait and see who’s going to join the election circus.