Incumbent, former senators banner list of 152 aspirants vying for 12 Senate seats in 2019

Newbies may be facing an uphill battle in the 2019 Senate race with seven incumbent and six former senators among the 152 aspirants vying for the 12 seats at stake in the legislative chamber.

The re-electionists include Sonny Angara of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Bam Aquino of Liberal Party (LP), Grace Poe (Independent), Cynthia Villar of Nacionalista Party (NP), JV Ejercito of Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nancy Binay of United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), and Koko Pimentel of the ruling party PDP-Laban.

The six former senators eyeing a comeback are Juan Ponce Enrile of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. of Lakas-CMD, Serge Osmeña III (Independent), Jinggoy Estrada of PMP, Pia Cayetano of NP and Lito Lapid of NPC.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon is not surprised that there are 13 former and incumbent senators in the race.

“The Senate is where the big fights happen. It is very crucial in defending our democracy. Of course, these [present and former senators] would make a run for it because 2019 is a so close to [being a preview of the] 2022 Presidential elections,” Guanzon said.

“And then there’s name recall. They figure that since they have the name recall, it would be easier for them,” she added.

Of at least 17 prominent newcomers eyeing a Senate seat, only two had previous experience in waging a Senate campaign: former Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Francis Tolentino of PDP-Laban and former Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III of Bagumbayan party.

Tolentino ran for a Senate seat in the 2016 polls as an independent but lost when he finished in 13th place.

Alunan finished 26th after garnering more than two million votes in the 2016 elections.

Six of the 17 prominent greenhorns in the Senate race had legislative stints as members of the House of Representatives, namely Lorenzo Tañada III of LP, Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list, Zajid Mangudadatu of PDP-Laban, Imee Marcos of NP, Harry Roque Jr. of People’s Reform Party as well as aid worker/former ARMM assembly woman Samira Gutoc.

There are five lawyers out of the 17 prominent new aspirants including: human rights advocate Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno who was nominated by LP, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay of Aksyon Demokratiko, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal (independent), Jude Sabio (Independent), and Larry Gadon of Kilusan ng Bagong Lipunan.

From the police ranks, only former Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa of PDP-Laban is running for the Senate.

Broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad also decided to join the Senate race after 23 years of working for GMA Network.

It was former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, however, who showed up with the biggest contingent when he filed his candidacy with over two dozen supporters in tow on Tuesday, led by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte.

The first to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the Senate is Pimentel, while the last to file is 46-year-old engineer Rodel Salac.

Party-list groups

On the other hand, 185 party-list groups are vying for seats in next year’s midterm elections.

Old timers Akbayan, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis led the pack as expected and renewed their calls for the administration to address the unabated price increases of basic goods.

Other party-list groups seeking congressional seats pitched for strengthening existing laws on the protection of rights of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). These groups include: former Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson’s AA-Kasosyo party-list and former boxer Bobby Pacquiao’s OFW Family Club party-list. He is the brother of boxing icon and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Buhay party-list, led by Rep. Lito Atienza vowed to fight for the passage of the death penalty bill into law.

The Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support party-list is pushing for more legislative measures seeking to prevent criminal activities.

Evangelist Eddie Villanueva, founder of Jesus Is Lord movement, is also joining the 2019 Senate race and vowed to push for measures which will eradicate corruption.

Local polls

Meanwhile, the Comelec’s preliminary report on COC filing concerning local positions was also released on Wednesday evening.

At least 313 people filed certificate of candidacy (COC) for a seat in the House, while 103 filed candidacy for governor. Eighty-one sought the position of vice governor.

There were 892 individuals targeting a seat as a provincial board member.

As for the municipal/city mayors, 2,363 decided to vie for the post of local chief executive while 2,214 joined the contest for the municipal/city vice mayor.

The list of aspirants for the municipal/city council membership had the biggest number at 19,783.

Commissioner Guanzon clarified that all those who filed their COCs are considered legitimate candidates pending the Comelec’s evaluation of the COCs.

Per Guanzon, the final list of the candidates for the 2019 elections will be out by December 15 this year since the poll body will start printing the ballots by January 2019 or four months before the May 2019 elections.

The campaign period for the Senate and party-list race starts in February 2019.

“You [as a candidate] will undergo due process. We will conduct hearings and we will decide, based on existing laws or jurisprudence, whether you are a nuisance candidate or not,” Guanzon said.

“It is easier that way. But for now, all [those who filed COCs] are accepted as candidates,”

The filing of COCs for the 2019 elections started at 8 a.m. last October 11 and closed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. —with reports from Anna Felicia Bajo/VDS/JST, GMA News