Former Senate president Vicente Sotto III, former senator Ping Lacson and reelectionist Sen. Lito Lapid. INQUIRER.net / John Eric Mendoza
MANILA, Philippines — Reelectionists, notable faces, and gimmicks of various supporters emerged on the second day of filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 national posts at the Manila Hotel Tent.
Victorino Inte, a skyway traffic enforcer who was previously declared as a nuisance presidential candidate for the 2022 polls, was the first senatorial aspirant who filed his COC.
While Senator Francis Tolentino was the only incumbent reelectionist to file COC on Tuesday, two more names have been added to the roster.
Senator Imee Marcos arrived around 9 a.m. to file her COC for Senate reelection. On Monday, she announced that she was withdrawing from the administration’s senatorial slate to “shield” her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and her friends.
READ: Sen. Imee Marcos files COC for reelection
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Senator Lito Lapid also lodged his COC as senator in the upcoming polls. He is also part of the senatorial slate endorsed by President Marcos Jr.
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Meanwhile, former Senate president Vicente Sotto and former senator Ping Lacson are seeking to return to the Senate as they file their COCs on Wednesday. Lapid, Sotto, and Lacson who are part of the “macho bloc” arrived at the filing venue all together.
Further, Senator Marcos brought loudspeakers, drum and lyre band, and dancers with her outside the COC filing venue. Her supporters trooped outside of the filing venue early morning where they were given t-shirts and props such as tambourines and mini fans.
READ: Magdalo may file impeachment rap vs VP Duterte once elected
Magdalo party-list first nominee Gary Alejano said that the party-list may file an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte if it wins a seat in the House of Representatives.
Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2017 as he accused Duterte of giving up the Philippines’ sovereign rights over Benham Rise to China.
Social media personality and food stall vendor Deo Balbuena, popularly known as Diwata, graced the second day of COC filing as he presented himself as the fourth nominee of Vendors party-list. He said that he voluntarily joined the party-list because the group will push to uplift the vendors in the country.
Senatorial aspirant Beth Lopez went emotional as she spoke before the media, claiming that she is the “chosen one of God” and saying that she would “curse” anyone who will disqualify her senatorial candidacy.
READ: Senatorial aspirant to ‘curse’ anyone who will disqualify her
Meanwhile, Comelec chairman George Garcia said in a press briefing that the second day of COC filing had been orderly all throughout the country.
“Sa pangalawang araw, wala po tayong natanggap na untoward incidents o report na nagkaroon ng problema sa kahit na anong filing venues or sites ng Commission on Elections,” Garcia said.
(On the second day [of filing], we did not receive any untoward incidents or reports or problems in any filing venues or sites of the Commission on Elections.)
“Again, nagpapasalamat tayo na naging napakatahimik ng filing of certificate of candidacy sa buong Pilipinas,” Garcia added.
(Again, we are thankful that the filing of certificate of candidacy was orderly all throughout the country.)
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The poll body chief also said that 10 senatorial aspirants filed their COCs while 11 party-lists lodged their certificate of nomination and acceptance on the second day of filing of COC.
