The law allows ‘jokers’ to run
“I'm looking for the best person, irregardless of political party, of race or religion, or color of their skin. Those things don't matter to me. I want someone who’s qualified, who has a qualification to character, and the integrity to do the things that have to be done to save this world.” – Edward Brooke
Laughing at the list of “nuisance” candidates – a characterization only the Commission on Elections (Comelec) can formally determine – is a ridicule of law. Whether they are called names or their certificate of candidacy (COC) is derided, such political contenders will continue to persevere knowing they have the law on their side. They have the right to say: “This election process is not only for the scholarly, mighty, and omnipotent. This is for us, too, the undervalued, the spurned, and the tossed-aside aspirants for a public office.”
In a democracy like the Philippines, everyone is free to dream… and fail.
If these “nuisance” bets are genuinely insane or just erudite punks is beside the point as the Comelec already accepted their COC. However, their candidacy can be expunged through the Comelec deliberation process for an inability to mount a serious campaign, lack of registered political party, among a number of other primordial reasons – but not because they are not “qualified” to run.
Under RA 6644, which amended RA 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, candidates for local office must be citizens of the Philippines; have reached a certain age based on the position they are seeking; able to read and write in Filipino, dialect, or other local language; registered to vote in their respective locality; and a resident of the said area for at least one year prior to Election Day.
I began posting my photos on social media in 2009 and, since then, a lot of my friends have mentioned, in about 90 percent of my photos, my ears are covered with earphones or headphones. I also noticed it, but the shots were not arranged; they were natural.
I regularly use earphones or headphones, especially when traveling on the subway.
I suspect I may have claustrophobia, or a fear of confined spaces. Often confused with cleithrophobia, a fear of being trapped, it’s classified as an anxiety disorder and can result in panic attacks. I also learned claustrophobia could be related to a dysfunction of the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls how we process fear.
Such a phobia has the potential to be traumatic, which can be triggered by being in a crowded space for an extended period of time or experiencing turbulence while in flight. However, with the assistance of earphones or headphones, my attention is diverted to the music and I won’t “feel something” if the train is stuck in a tunnel for four to six minutes./WDJ