The big reveal

How much does it cost to become a Senator here in the Philippines? On confidential information shared with us, a relatively unknown candidate must have at least P300 to P400 million in campaign kitty to bankroll a nationwide run for the Senate. Incumbent and popular personalities who have the advantage of name recall would only need about P100 to P200 million of campaign funds.

“If a rich but not so popular candidate, then as much as P500 million or more if he/she will full blast on TV ads and spend on local officials,” a veteran politician commented.” But hastily adding: “Of course, obvious violation of elections already.”

Under our country’s election laws, all candidates must comply with the spending cap on election campaign. Win or lose, each candidate must submit a statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) to check against over-spending.

While he may have plans and ambition even to run for the May 2022 Senate race, presidential spokesman Harry Roque conceded he does not have that much funds and resources to go on a nationwide campaign. Speaking in our virtual news forum at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay last Wednesday, Roque admitted this is the other reason why he has not entered the Senate race.

“I really want to run for the Senate. But what are the realities? I was not born rich. I was not born of a political family. I am an ordinary person. And it is very difficult to run for the Senate if you are an ordinary person,” Roque pointed out.

Roque first ran for the Senate during the May 2019 elections under the People’s Reform Party (PRP) whose founding head was the late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago. At that time, Roque recalled, he still had personal funds out of advertising revenues he earned from boxing matches of world boxing champion-turned Senator Manny Pacquiao. However, Roque subsequently withdrew from the Senate race purportedly due to poor health following a heart attack.

Although he did not file his certificates of candidacy (COC), the PRP fielded a placeholder who would give way to Roque should he decide to run for the Senate.

The PRP is one of five political parties that entered into a coalition agreement with a regional party called Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP). Roque was informed by the PRP about a placeholder who would give way to him should he change his mind also to run for the Senate. A certain Paulo Mario Martelino is one of only two PRP senatorial candidates who filed their respective COCs.

The other is former Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro who first run but lost as Lakas-CMD presidential bet in the May, 2010 election. Earlier, Teodoro was once touted among the possible VP runningmate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, HNP founding head. Lakas -CMD is also in coalition with HNP.

As he has earlier publicly declared, Roque cited his Senate bid is much anchored if Mayor Sara decides to run in next year’s presidential race. But there was no Mayor Sara nor representative of the presidential daughter that showed up at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) national center tent at Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City on the last day of the filing of COCs last Oct. 8.

As it turned out, Mayor Sara stood her grounds to just seek a re-election for her office at Davao City Hall. She filed her COC an hour after the same day that President Duterte personally joined administration-backed senatorial slate in filing their COCs at Sofitel on Oct. 7.

Roque recalled his recent conversations with PDP-Laban chairman, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi who supposedly told him the party still has “other candidate” while Mayor Sara spurned calls to run for the presidency.

Up to the last moments of the COC deadline, Roque disclosed, he and former Duterte Cabinet colleague PDP-Laban Senator Francis Tolentino were talking over telephone. This was while Tolentino accompanied another pro-administration Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa at the Sofitel. Tolentino told Roque he and Dela Rosa went together with Cusi to Sofitel. And only upon arriving there that Tolentino found out the former top cop of President Duterte was made to file a COC to run as the presidential standard-bearer of the PDP-Laban.

According to Roque, Tolentino was inquiring from him: “What was happening?”

Like many of her loyal supporters, Roque reiterated his ardent wish that Mayor Sara would heed the persistent calls and pleading to run for the presidency. Mayor Sara, however, merely thanked those rooting for her. She remained though as top choice in mock polls on the most preferred candidates if the presidential and VP elections are held today.

Giving way to Mayor Sara’s demand only one Duterte should run in the national elections, President Duterte withdrew from his original plan to run as the vice presidential (VP) candidate of the ruling administration party PDP-Laban. President Duterte instead anointed his long time aide, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, to become the VP bet of their party.

Roque noted with obvious admiration how Mayor Sara went out her way to call him up from Davao City just to convince him to run for the Senate without her. “I told her that it’s difficult to run when I do not know who the leader is, how much more when I do not believe in the leader. So, although she was persuading me to run, I said I will not,” Roque quoted his phone conversations with the presidential daughter.

He admitted, however, he still would like to personally talk with Mayor Sara again. Unfortunately, she got infected with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after her younger brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, also got ill with it. Roque, who turned 55 years old yesterday, got COVID-19 infection too earlier this year.

The prospects though of Mayor Sara changing her mind still remain strong. The Comelec has set until Nov. 15 deadline in the filing for substitute candidates. And so with Roque’s Senate bid.

Like an expectant father, Roque, along with loyal supporters and allies of Mayor Sara, await the big reveal anytime on or before that deadline.