THE Commission on Elections has received 130 certificates of candidacy for president, 19 for vice president and 172 for senators, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said at the end of the period for the registration of candidacies for national positions.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, in a press briefing, immediately expressed satisfaction over the general conduct of the CoC filing nationwide.
“Overall, we are able to preserve the festive atmosphere, but the process of CoC filing was more orderly,” said Bautista.
There were 192 who filed CoCs for party-list as of Friday, 3:45 p.m. Sixty four of these were filed on the last day alone.
The Comelec is now tasked to screen who among the applicants are qualified to become official candidates in the May 2016 elections and the poll body may come out with the final list of candidates for the 18,069 positions to be contested in the elections by Dec. 10.
There were several celebrities who filed CoCs of the last day, including boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and movie actor Edu Manzano.
Pacquiao is under the United Nationalist Alliance banner, while Manzano is running as an independent.
Former showbiz personality and incumbent Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno also filed his CoC for senator under the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino coalition.
Despite his declaration that Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will be his running mate, vice presidential aspirant Allan Peter Cayetano may start his campaign alone after the Davao City mayor failed to file his candidacy for President.
But a Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption Chairman Martin Dino filed his CoC to run for President as a member of PDP-Laban and Duterte may still run for President since he is a member of PDP-Laban and has until Dec. 10 to decide.
Under Comelec rules, only party-mates or those from same coalitions may substitute for one another.
Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code provides that if after the last day for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy, an official candidate of a registered or accredited political party dies, withdraws, or is disqualified for any cause, only a person belonging to the same political party may file a Certificate of Candidacy to replace the candidate.
Comelec Resolution No. 9984 also provides that substitution of candidates, after a withdrawal of Certificate of Candidacy, by a duly registered political party or coalition may be done so on or before Dec. 10, 2015.
Filing his CoC to run for vice president is Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who has declared his support for Duterte.
Running for senator as part of the United Nationalist Alliance is former Philippine National Police Special Action Force chief Getulio Napeñas Jr., who said he decided to join the UNA team because of its support for the SAF 44.
He said he intends to campaign based on the platform of peace and order just as he did during his time as a policeman for almost four decades.
Another senatorial nominee of UNA is broadcaster, Rey Langit, who also filed his CoC yesterday.
He said he wants to personally take action on the numerous frustrations he has seen among the people in his time as a journalist.
And while having three members running for vice president, Nacionalista Party decided to field only one senatorial bet in the person of overseas Filipino worker advocate, Susan Ople.
She said she will be running with a goal of continuing her advocacy of helping OFWs and their families, such as the establishment of a separate department for OFWs, modernization of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and battling human trafficking.
“We are hoping the families of OFWs will be an integral part of this effort. This is for them and Filipino workers in general,” said Ople.
