TWO re-electionists and two returning senators top billed the second day of the filing period for the May 2025 national and local polls being held by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos filed her COC for re-election at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel where the filing for the certificates of candidacy for senators and party-list groups is being held.

She was accompanied by her mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos.

Also yesterday, re-electionist Lito Lapid and former senators Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson filed their COCs.

Lapid, Sotto and Lacson are part of the 12-man slate of the administration coalition’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.

Marcos was initially included in the ticket, but the presidential sister withdrew her inclusion.

Aside from Marcos, Lacson, Sotto, and Lapid, others who filed their COCs for senator are Victoriano Inte, Eric Negapatan, Magno Manalo, Bethsaida Lopez, Manuel Andrada, and Jonry Gargarita.

In the party-list race, 11 groups filed their certificates of nomination and acceptance of nomination. These are LPGMA, Ang Komadrona, United Senior Citizens, PPP, Pamana, Barkadahan, Magdalo,Vendors, A Teacher, Apat Dapat, and Abono.

In a press briefing, Comelec chairman George Garcia said a 10 senatorial aspirants and 11 party-list organizations made their candidacies official yesterday.

“The ongoing filing of COCs has been smooth and orderly nationwide. Even their supporters have heeded our call for them to be orderly,” said Garcia.

“We have yet to receive any reports of untoward incidents in all the COC filing venues of the Comelec. The COC filing has been peaceful nationwide,” he added.

There are now 27 candidates for senator and 26 party-list groups participating in the midterm elections.

The filing period for COCs and CON-CANs will run until October 8.

PBBM SUPPORT

Speaking to reporters after filing her COC, Marcos said her brother’s support remains despite her refusal to be included in the administration slate.

“My brother (President Marcos) told me it’s okay for me to not join them. He will still support me. We don’t need to bicker. We don’t need to fight,” said Marcos, who is running under the Nacionalista Party.

She reiterated that her decision to not join the administration’s lineup is to avoid having to choose one political side over the other.

“I will not constitute the administration alliance to allow me to work together with every sector, to be able to cross the line, and get things done,” said Marcos.

Asked if she will seek the support of her ally, Vice President Sara Duterte, the lady senator said such discussions have yet to take place.

“I don’t know. We haven’t discussed that yet,” said Marcos.

According to Sotto and Lacson, the breaks they got after their failed their presidential and vice presidential bids, respectively, in the May 2022 polls left them reenergized.

Sotto said he is open to becoming the Senate President anew but only if his colleagues will seek it.

He stressed that he will never go out of his way just to bag the top post in the Senate.

“It is rare since dating back to 1992 that the individual lobbies to be Senate president. Senate presidency is most likely to happen if your colleagues offer you that position. When that happens, you’ll succeed,” said Sotto.

“If you lobbied for it, it usually falls apart quickly. As for me, it has not crossed my mind yet,” he added.

For his part, Lacson said he wants to continue his previous role in Congress to watch over the national budget.

Add to this, he said, is his tradition of refusing any pork barrel allocations.

“I pledge to continue not availing of the pork barrel allocations in any shape or form,” he said, adding that he will “continue being a vanguard, if you will, of the annual national budget to the best of my ability.”

Lapid, meanwhile, said he is looking to continue his legislation plans in the Senate if given another chance.

MAGDALO COMEBACK?

Also seeking a comeback in the House of Representatives is the Magdalo party-list, which did not gain a seat in the May 2022 polls.

According to Magdalo first nominee Gary Alejano, they are looking to resume their advocacy to advance the welfare of the uniformed personnel.

“The main reason why we are really here is for the welfare of our army and police – that is our main agenda,” said Alejano.

Asked if they are open to pushing for the impeachment of the Vice President, he answered in the affirmative.

“If it is already necessary and time calls to file an impeachment and there’s no one willing to do so, then the Magdalo will be the one to do it,” said Alejano.

Back in 2017, Magdalo party-list filed an impeachment complaint against then president Rodrigo Duterte.

LOCAL RACE

In Malabon, former lawmaker Federico “Ricky” Soteco Sandoval II filed his COC seeking to return to Congress as Malabon lone district representative.

Sandoval, husband of current Malabon Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, previously represented Malabon and Navotas from 1998 to 2007, and served as Malabon’s congressional district representative from 2016 to 2019.

He will face off against former Malabon mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Oreta III, who also filed his COC yesterday.

In Bulacan, Gov. Daniel Fernando filed his COC seeking a third term as governor.

Fernando filed his COC alongside re-electionist Vice Gov. Alex Castro.

Ormoc Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez also filed her COC for reelection.

Actor Arjo Atayde is seeking re-election as Quezon City’s 1st district representative and filed his COC on Tuesday.

Deo Balbuena, popularly known as “Diwata” of the viral “Diwata Pares,” filed his COC as a nominee of the Vendors party-list.

Actor Marco Gumabao also filed his COC for Camarines Sur 4th district representative.

TikTok vlogger Rosmar Tan is also vying for a councilor position in the first district of Manila City.

Ion Perez, a host in the noontime “IT’s Showtime” show, is also seeking a government position as a councilor in Concepcion, Tarlac. He filed his COC on Tuesday.

NUISANCE CANDIDATES

Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said there is a possibility of having more candidates running in the 2025 polls due to the new limitations in declaring nuisance bets based on a ruling of the Supreme Court.

“In two decisions of the Supreme Court, the SC said we cannot declare one as a nuisance candidate due to the lack of financial capacity to launch a nationwide campaign, and that we cannot remove a candidate because they are not popular or a member of a political party,” said Laudiangco.

“These decisions reduced the opportunities for the Comelec law department to declare aspirants as nuisance candidates,” he added.

Laudiangco is referring to the SC ruling in 2019 and 2022, both of which were filed by Norman Cordero Marquez.

Laudiangco said it would be better if there will be petitioners who will file petitions to declare a candidate as a “nuisance.”

“Our allegations must remain to be factual on why we declare one as having no bona fide intention to run,” he said.

“We will try our best to remove the nuisance candidates by having petitions filed,” added Laudiangco.

Under the law, the Commission may refuse to give due course to or cancel a certificate of candidacy if it is shown that it has been filed to put the election process in mockery or disrepute, or to cause confusion among the voters, or by other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for public office.

EMBO

The Comelec yesterday said registered voters in the 10 Enlisted Men’s Barrio (EMBO) barangays in Taguig City will now be able to elect their congressmen.

The Comelec announced that it has adopted the concurrent resolutions of the Senate and House of Representatives, which distributed the 10 barangays in the two legislative districts of Taguig City.

“The Comelec en banc has issued a resolution that officially and formally states that the voters of the 10 EMBO barangays, three in the 1st district and seven in the 2nd district, can now vote in their respective districts,” Garcia said.

“They can now vote for the members of the House of Representatives for the 1st and 2nd districts of Taguig City,” he added.

Garcia said they used as basis the concurrent resolution of lawmakers to distribute the 10 EMBO barangays.

“They will not be disenfranchised. That is the foremost reason of the Commission en banc on why we will let them vote in the two districts,” he said.

Earlier, Taguig City issued Ordinance No. 144, which includes and distributes the 10 EMBO barangays in its existing two legislative districts.

Subsequently, the Senate and the House of Representatives issued a concurrent resolution, which also included the 10 EMBO barangays in the legislative districts of Taguig City.

Back in June 2024, the Comelec announced that over 300,000 registered voters in the 10 EMBO barangays cannot vote for the position of congressman in the May 2025 polls because the 10 EMBO barangays belong to neither to the two congressional districts of Taguig City.

GUN BAN

Laudiangco said the poll body is open to proposals by the PNP to have an early implementation of the election gun ban for the next year’s national and local polls.

“In case there will be such a recommendation, we expect this to come from the member of the Philippine National Police in the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (CBFSC),” said Laudiangco.

“The Comelec en banc will seriously consider this,” he said.

The poll official, however, pointed out that the gun ban is traditionally implemented during the Election Period, which will be from January 12, 2025 to June 11, 2025.

“The implementation of the gun ban is tied with the Election Period. During the Election Period, it is when the gun ban will be in effect,” said Laudiangco.

He also noted that the gun ban has larger implications than simply preventing election-related violence.

“It doesn’t only aim to prevent the carrying of firearms. It has an effect to an entire industry. The gun ban is not just about guns,” he said.

On Tuesday, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said they are looking into an early implementation of the election gun ban.