A major political test

As the country braces for the midterm elections next year, candidates vying for various posts are now positioning to hit the campaign trail in the coming months. Many we will see on the ballot are old familiar names slugging it out in their effort to stay politically relevant.

Many of these old familiar candidates – incumbent and former officials – have become controversial owing to the many issues they were involved in. In fact, many of them are facing several cases in court.

Former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. have been detained for graft for their role in the alleged illegal disbursements of pork barrel allotments. As they await the final outcome of their case, they took another shot at the seat they left behind at the Senate.

In the local scene, Cebu Third District Representative Gwendolyn Garcia continues to fight the graft case she is facing over the Balili lot development. Taking the case to Court of Appeals, Garcia then launched a bid to reclaim the gubernatorial post.

Yes, these candidates with pending cases can still run. There has been no law barring them from seeking any government position. Under the Constitution, they are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise by the court.

Meanwhile, because of the long and circuitous legal process, their political careers continue to thrive pending the final outcome of their graft cases. They hope that scoring an electoral victory will help convince the court of their innocence and clear their names.

However, candidates with pending cases are facing a huge political risk. They may have many options and the resources to delay the case. But they cannot escape public perception that illegal acts were committed that led to the filing of the case.

The May elections will definitely be a major test in their political career. A victory could boost their confidence of eventually escaping conviction. But a loss would also mean voter opinion on their culpability in the case is strong.