Old, new faces seek Senate seats
The penultimate day of the filing of certificate of candidacy on Tuesday saw old and new faces filing their COCs for senator at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) head office in Intramuros, Manila.
On Tuesday, former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile confirmed that he is running again for senator in the May, 2019, mid-term elections.“I want to join the fun,” Enrile told reporters in a phone patch interview.
Enrile’s COC was filed by his representative at the Comelec head office.
According to Enrile, he would run as an independent candidate and will campaign through social media. Enrile said he has a Facebook
account.
“I will not be beside any political group, any polity … I will just serve the country if I make it,” Enrile said.
“I will not be beholden to any vested group or anybody except the people,” said the 94-year-old veteran lawmaker.
Like Enrile, former senators Mar Roxas, Jinggoy Estrada, and Pia Cayetano are also trying a comeback at the Senate, while incumbent Senator Bam Aquino is seeking re-election.
Those who are trying to seek a Senate seat for the first time include Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, De La Salle University College of Law founding dean and human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, three-time Quezon congressman Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada, and University of Santo Tomas professor Angelo de Ablan. They filed their COCs Tuesday.
Specific solutions Roxas, who is running under the Liberal Party banner, said he is seeking a Senate seat because he knows he can do something to help the country and the people.
“I believe that the government is a force for good... the government is the single most effective way to effect change, to improve people’s lives because even if you do something little, millions will benefit... the government is a force for change, a force for betterment,” he said.
“That is my philosophy, which I will stand for. That is also the reason I am joining politics again, so that I can help in this endeavor,” added Roxas.
According to Roxas, he plans to push for specific programs that will be able to help poor Filipinos amid the high prices of commodities and services.
He said “general, beauty contest” answers to the economic problems of the country won’t suffice.
“My aim is to provide specific solutions, and not general and so-called beauty contest answers,” said Roxas.
Unfinished business Estrada said he is trying to make a Senate comeback tom pursue unfinished business.
“I’m glad to return to the Senate next year since I have a lot of unfinished programs. During my Senate stint, I passed 642 bills and resolutions. I plan to do the same if ever I will be re-elected in the Senate,” Jinggoy said.
He was accompanied by his father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada when he filed his COC Tuesday.
With the filing of his COC, Jinggoy will battle for a Senate seat with his half-brother, Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito who filed his COC last Monday under Nationalist People’s Coalition.
Jinggoy said he sees no problem running alongside his brother, saying the votes will not be divided because JV uses “Ejercito” as his last name.
While JV retained his 2013 campaign name “JV Ejercito,” he has included “Estrada JV” as his alias.
“Honestly, I haven’t talked to him. I haven’t seen him for quite some time. I just see him on television, listen to him on radio,” Jinggoy said.
Jinggoy also vowed to introduce measures that will uplift lives of overseas Filipino workers.
Sustainable transportation Cayetano, meanwhile, road a bike from Kilometer Zero at the Rizal Park in Manila to the Comelec main office to symbolize her advocacy, which includes sustainable transportation, healthcare, and women empowerment.
“The laws that I’ve passed will speak for itself. I have spent 12 years in the Senate, and it is the area where I feel I am most productive,” Cayetano said.
Caytano said she will continue the package of reform she had done in education, health, women and children, environment, and cultural and heritage protection.
An advocate for women’s welfare, Cayetano refused to answer questions related to President Duterte’s remarks on women.
“He can defend himself, I am not his spokesperson. I was not silent. I believe I fought the battles,” said Cayetano, who running under the Nacionalista Party.
Go a little old school
Aquino said that with the proliferation of fake news, the senator is planning to use the traditional way of campaigning in his re-election bid.
“We cannot just battle over at social media alone. We must knock on the hearts of our countrymen. So we have to go a little old school through our volunteers, communities, and barangays,” said Aquino.
“We must take this as an opportunity to explain what are real and not just what they see on social media,” said Aquino.
Although he admitted that the 2019 polls will be more difficult than when he first run in 2013, he said this will not deter him from continuing to serve.
“It is more difficult now. But public servants must fight on in this elections because we need to have alternative voices in the Senate,” said Aquino.
Lower prices
Marcos, daughter of former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, said she is not worried about the anti-Marcos sentiments affecting her bid for a Senate seat.
Marcos believes the “new generation” is ready to hear their side of the story.
“If I am worried that it may affect me, I would not have been here,” she said after filing her COC Tuesday.
“There have already been changes over the years. The new generation is ready to hear our side of the story,” added Marcos who was accompanied by her brother Bongbong and other family members.
Asked regarding her response to those still demanding public apology from their family, she said they have long apologized.
“We have issued an apology for several times to whoever the victims of these unfortunate incidents... but if what they are asking is admission, that is not possible,” Marcos said.
“Why should we admit something that we didn’t do?” she said.
Meanwhile, Marcos vowed to work in lowering the prices of goods and end poverty if she wins in next year’s polls.
“We pledge to bring down prices, to end poverty in this generation and to make certain that no Filipino is left behind,” she said.
Improving justice system
Diokno said he will run to improve the country's justice system, especially for the poor.
“I want justice, especially justice for the poor, to be part of our conversation. Until the justice system is fixed, we will not be able to see accountability,” he added.
He also claimed that the judiciary branch lacks people and budges.
Diokno will also push for the increasing of benefits of judges and prosecutors to address vacancies.
On filing candidacy the same day and time as Imee Marcos, he said, “Parang naulit lang ang kasaysayan, noong panahon ng tatay ko siyempre ang katapat niya 'yung tatay niya. Let's bring it on and let's see what happens.” (It seems history repeats itself. Our fathers had faced off with each other, too.)
His father, Jose "Pepe" Diokno, was detained during Martial law.
De Ablan said he is running because he wants to improve laws in education, health, agriculture, and housing.
“My advocacy is to improve. I’ve observed and experienced the ordinary Filipinos’ life. I don’t want to just change it. I want to improve it – not just in a given locality or province but nationwide,” he said.