Moment of truth

“Gates open…They’re off and running…” the announcer blares in a horse racing contest. More or less, this is how it would be when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) opens its doors today. As soon as office hours begin at 8 o’clock in the morning, Comelec will start accepting certificates of candidacy (COCs) from all those running in the coming May, 2016 national and local elections.

From the official count of Comelec, there are 18,069 positions up for grabs in next year’s race – from president down to municipal councilor. All wannabes of these elective posts have until the end of Comelec office hours at 5 o’clock in the afternoon this Friday, Oct.16 to file their COCs.

As of now, there is no indication yet if the Comelec needs to extend the deadline. According to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, the seven-man poll body will make a study first whether or not there will be a need to extend the deadline, at least until midnight on the last day.

We Filipinos are known for our propensity for doing things at the last minute, a deadline mentality.

For undecided wannabes up to now, filing COCs at the last-minute can add drama or drum up interest in their candidacies.

Among those reportedly still undecided is Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who has been faring well in the pre-polls surveys on voters’ preferred presidential candidates in both the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia.

As to whether he will run for the presidency itself or just be a vice presidential running mate, Duterte reportedly will reveal his final decision if he comes to Manila any day this week. The last information we got from Duterte’s political adviser, Lito Banayo, who disclosed the Davao City mayor will fly to Manila this Thursday, the day before the COC deadline. It is only then the public will know Duterte’s final decision.

So far, only two running tandems are definitely filing their COCs together. They are ex-Interior Sec. Mar Roxas II and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo for the ruling administration’s Liberal Party (LP); and, Senators Grace Poe and Francis “Chiz” Escudero who are both running as “independent” candidates, or no party affiliation.

While he may be the earliest bird to declare his 2016 bid for the highest office of the land, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, however, has not yet convinced Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan to run as his vice presidential running mate and has not come up with his 12 Senate bets.

The selection committee of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) picked Honasan as their party’s vice presidential candidate. But Honasan has asked UNA for more time to consult his family before making his decision.

The others declared their individual interest to run for vice president. Three of them all belong to the Nacionalista Party (NP). They are, namely, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Last week, OFW Family Club party-list Rep. Roy Señeres declared his presidential bid. Señeres swears he can wage a national campaign to contest the presidency. He cites his having voted into office as party-list representative with one of the highest number of votes in a national election to prove to Comelec he is no “nuisance” candidate.

This is because, after the filing of COCs, the Comelec will vet and review all of these COCs of wannabes. The poll body will evaluate the COC of each candidate, especially in the presidential, VP and senatorial to determine if they meet the basic requirements under our country’s election laws to qualify to run for these public offices.

This exercise of the Comelec, however, obviously is just a cursory determination of the fitness and qualifications of candidates. Unless otherwise challenged before the Comelec or in courts, any candidate can just file COC and run for public office.

Just take the citizenship case filed against Sen.Poe after she declared her presidential bid. The case was filed by Lito David who ran but lost in the last senatorial elections in May, 2013. In his election protest belatedly filed only last month at the Comelec, David claimed Poe did not meet the residency and citizenship requirement when she ran and won as a senator. David filed a separate disqualification case against Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

The Comelec, headed by chairman Andres Bautista, earlier ruled that Poe can still file her COC since there was no final decision yet on both cases. The Comelec applies the same policy for the other candidates similarly situated with legal problems like Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay who is set to appeal the dismissal order issued last Friday against him by the Ombudsman.

Although already proclaimed by their respective parties as presidential and vice-presidential tandem, the Mar-Leni team also has yet to officially come up with their 12-man senatorial ticket. Party stalwarts aborted last Friday the formal announcement of LP’s senatorial ticket, citing their two earlier drafted candidates backed out, former MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.

Bautista opted to run instead for his third and last term as QC mayor. Tolentino, on the other hand, asked that his name be stricken out from LP senate ticket following the brouhaha on the Playgirls at the LP oath-taking rites in Laguna two weeks ago. Fortunately for Tolentino, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada “adopted” and endorsed him as one of the senatorial candidates of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

Incidentally, Estrada also formally endorsed Sen. Marcos as PMP’s vice presidential candidate. Running for a second term as mayor of Manila, Estrada, however, is not discounting yet his making another crack at the presidency. In case Poe and Binay are eliminated from the presidential race, Estrada said, the PMP – as the opposition party – must put up another presidential candidate.

LP leaders reset the formal proclamation of their 12-man Senate ticket today, or so they say. But earlier, LP mouthpieces bragged about the party’s supposed “deep-bench” of administration candidates for the Senate race.

It should be interesting to see who would be the early birds to file their respective COCs. Today is just the start for the moment of truth to unravel for those running in the 2016 race.