Comelec expects a heavier turnout of candidates today and tomorrow, Oct. 8, the last day of filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 midterm elections. This photo was taken during the opening day last Oct. 1 at the Tent City in Manila Hotel. —Grig C. Montegrande
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects a heavier turnout of candidates on Monday and Tuesday, the last two days of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 midterm elections.
On Sunday, only eight senatorial candidates filed their COCs and 14 party lists filed their certificates of nomination and certificates of acceptance of nomination (Con-Can) at the Tent City in Manila Hotel, where the Comelec law department set up its off-site working area for aspirants of national elective posts.
This brings the total number of senatorial aspirants to 78. The number of party list groups joining the race is 87, which is only half of 160 that the Comelec expected.
READ: The relevance of filing a certificate of candidacy
Among the aspirants who filed their candidacies were prominent allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
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Musician-turned-politician Jimmy Bondoc filed his COC for senator under the Duterte-led PDP-Laban political party.
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When asked if he would join the administration or the opposition should he win in the Senate, Bondoc did not categorically answer.
“I am a good follower and a good soldier. But I also believe in pursuing policies instead of pure party lines. I am loyal to the PDP-Laban and I will also be loyal to the best policies,” he told reporters.
He maintained he was “absolutely loyal” to Duterte.
Another die-hard Duterte supporter who wanted to enter politics is serial Red-tagger Lorraine Badoy. The former spokesperson for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict is second nominee of Epanaw Sambayanan party list.
According to lawyer Marlon Bosantog, Epanaw’s first nominee, their group aims to lend their voices “to a network of people, including parents and families of recruited members of communist terrorist organizations,” most of whom were indigenous peoples (IPs).
‘Ironic, ridiculous’
ACT Teachers party list, which also filed its Con-Can, on Sunday, called it ironic and ridiculous that Badoy is aspiring to represent the IPs.
“This shows the travesty of the party list system. How can Badoy be forwarding IP rights, when she was among those who led in persecuting our lumad communities, and the closing and harassment of our lumad schools and teachers,” said Antonio Tinio, the first nominee of ACT Teachers.
According to Tinio, it would be “inevitable” for the national democratic and social democratic movements to consolidate.
“We are open to working with everyone, as long as they have the same stand to oppose the Marcos administration, to seek accountability on the Dutertes and to forward the interest of the people,” he said.
PWDs, pensioners
Former Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon led the nominees of the P3WD party list in the filing of their Con-Can.
Although her party list won a seat during the 2022 elections, she was not able to start her term after former National Youth Commission Chair Ronald Cardema blocked her proclamation at the Supreme Court.
Guanzon said they would continue to advocate for the rights and welfare of persons with disability (PWDs) and their families, specifically by pushing for the 5 percent share of PWDs in the total budget in local governments and national government agencies, similar to the Gender and Development Fund.
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SSS GSIS Pensyonado, led by its first nominee Rolando Macasaet, also filed its Con-Can. Macasaet resigned on Friday as president and CEO of the state-run Social Security System. He said they would push for higher pensions for retirees.