Who's running for what?

COMMONSENSE - 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).

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

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.