ALLIES of former President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday headlined the third day of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) yesterday at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel.
Re-electionist Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Cristopher “Bong” Go, along with veteran actor Phillip Salvador, filed their COCs for senators under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) banner.
In a press conference on late Thursday, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the activity remains peaceful and orderly after three days.
“There has been no incidents of violence and irregularities in all COC filing sites. It is still generally peaceful,” said Garcia.
“Everybody has been following our rules. It shows our maturity as a people,” he said.
Aside from the three PDP candidates, Dr. Willie Ong of Aksyon Demokratiko also filed his COC for senator through his wife, Liza. Ong ran but lost as vice president in the May 2022 national elections.
Others who filed their COCs for senator were Jaime Balmas and Elpidio Rosales of KBL, and independent bents Jose Bunilla, Robert Agad, Khaled Casimra, Jimmy Salapantan, Rex Noel, and Roel Pacquiao.
Party-list groups 1-Agila, Swerte, FPJ Panday Bayanihan, BHW, Solid North, Health Workers, Angat, Ahon Mahirap, and Kamalayan also filed their Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance (CONAs).
In total after three days, there are now 39 senatorial aspirants and 35 party-lists that have filed their certificates to participate in the May 2025 national and local elections.
The filing period will run until October 8.
‘GRAND DEMOLITION’
Speaking to reporters after filing his COC, Dela Rosa alleged there is an ongoing “grand demolition” against Duterte and his allies.
Dela Rosa cited the ongoing probe of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as one of the main schemes against them.
“They form part of a grand demolition against us, the Dutertes, and the allies of Dutertes,” he said.
Asked if his allegiance with the former president could work against him in the upcoming race, the former PNP chief said it could either be a negative or a positive thing.
“I leave it up to the people. The people know very well what is the real score. The people will decide if those are true or not, and we will see it with the results of the elections,” said Dela Rosa.
Go agreed with Dela Rosa, saying it is already up to the people to decide if the so-called “Duterte Magic” will still work.
“Let us leave it to the people to judge if they think his (Duterte) programs from 2016 to 2022 has helped them,” said Go.
Salvador said he wants to push for the continuation of the anti-drug campaign of Duterte but with more focus on the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
“I support what he (Duterte) did because it did us good. But I also look forward to giving the drug addicts the opportunity to get rehabbed. Let us give them the chance to return to their communities,” said Salvador.
DOC WILLIE
Despite being stricken with cancer, Ong said he is pushing forward with his senatorial bid.
Lawyer Gilbert Lauengco, who is Ong’s spokesperson, said the health practitioner plans to conduct a hybrid form of campaigning for the next elections.
“He plans to go back to do a limited physical campaign by, probably, December to January. He will do as much as he did like the last time by going to social media with a bit of physical campaign,” said Lauengco.
“There will be times it will be tough, and he will fight it. But he is very confident that he will be physically fit in the event that he wins to perform the duties of a senator,” he added.
Asked for his current health condition, Lauengco said Ong is confident he will overcome his sickness.
“He was told by his doctor that, although his condition is nothing to sneeze at, it is treatable,” he said.
FPJ LEGACY
Accompanied by Sen Grace Poe-Llamanzares, the FPJ Panday Bayanihan said it is joining the party-list race to continue the legacy of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., also known as FPJ.
In an interview, FPJ party-list first nominee Brian Llamanzares, son of the senator, said their organization will focus on three advocacies, namely food, progress, and justice.
“FPJ, of course, comes from the name of my grandfather FPJ. But of course, the FPJ in our party stands for food, progress, and justice,” said Llamanzares.
He said they also want to continue pushing for the programs of her mother, who is set to end her two-year term in the Senate in 2025.
“The first legislative agenda is the legislative agenda we’ve already pushed for… there are already measures that became law like the national feeding program, which we still need to amend in order for children in grade school until high school to get enough food in school,” said Llamanzares.
Marc Petron, the group’s second nominee, and Hiyas Dolor, the third nominee, joined Llamanzares at the Manila Hotel.
ABALOS
Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. yesterday said he will file his COC on Monday, the same day that his resignation as head of the Department of Interior and Local Government will take effect.
“Sa Lunes ako po ay magpapaalam na ako sa inyo bilang kalihim. Mag-re-resign na po ako (I will bid you goodbye as secretary on Monday. I will already resign),” he said during the kick- off of the “Lab for All” program in Pasig City.
He added that he had already accomplished some of the major tasks that were expected from him, such as the arrest of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.
Abalos was one of the 12 senatorial candidates endorsed by President Marcos Jr. under the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” administration coalition.
Before becoming DILG secretary, Abalos served as chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). He was also a former congressman, mayor and councilor of Mandaluyong City.
LOCAL RACE
In the local race, actress Vilma Santos -Recto and her sons Luis Manzano and Ryan Recto filed their respective COCs for the 2025 midterm elections in Batangas.
Santos-Recto is running for governor in Batangas, while Manzano is joining politics as a candidate for vice governor. Ryan is running for representative of Batangas’s sixth district.
Santos-Recto formerly served as representative of Batangas.
Manzano is the son of actor Edu Manzano, who was a former vice mayor of Makati City.
Ryan is the son of Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, who was also a former senator and congressman.
In Manila, Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and Vice Mayor Marvin “Yul Servo” Nieto formalized their re-election bids yesterday.
The two are running under the local party Asenso Manileño. — With Jocelyn Montemayor