81 running for president

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Jamby Madrigal was the 57th person out of a total of 81 to file a certificate of candidacy (COC) for president, filing ahead of Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro and his running mate, TV host and actor Edu Manzano yesterday.

Former Manila congressman Mark Jimenez filed his COC last night to run for president as an independent candidate. Sen. Richard Gordon also filed his COC for the presidency yesterday.

According to the Comelec, a total of 81 candidates filed their COC for the presidency, 16 for the vice president and 142 for senator as of 8:30 last night.

Madrigal formalized her presidential bid as soon as the Commission on Elections' law department in Intramuros, Manila opened its desk to receive applications of COCs for president, vice president and senators.

“When I ran in 2004 (as senator), I have proven that I won’t be swayed by corruption and the prevailing trapo (traditional political) system... it’s time to remove the old,” she said.

Madrigal is running without a vice president or a senatorial slate.

The poll body set until 12 midnight last night for candidates to file their COCs.

Santiago: Get an efficient machinery

With four senators gunning for the presidency, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago stressed yesterday the importance of having an efficient machinery to be able to win the elections.

Santiago said it will be extremely hard for the presidential candidate if he or she has no machinery, recalling how hard it was for her to manage a good campaign when she ran under her own People’s Reform Party in 1992 and lost to ex-President Fidel Ramos.

“It will be extremely difficult. I ran as an independent candidate, at least I had a party… In this case, do they have their own parties? It will depend on whether they will be able to build up a party organization in time for the elections,” Santiago said.

Santiago made the statement after Senators Gordon and Madrigal filed their respective COCs before the Comelec yesterday.

Two other senators are seeking the presidency but with massive political parties to back their bids – Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Manuel Villar Jr. and the Liberal Party’s Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

Running for vice-president are Nationalist People’s Coalition vice-president bet Loren Legarda, who is Villar’s running-mate, and LP’s Mar Roxas. 

LP fields complete senatorial slate

Also last night, the Liberal Party finally fielded a complete slate of senators as two more candidates for the Senate went to the Comelec last night to file their COCs.

Completing the ticket were Dr. Martin Bautista, who first ran as senator under the Bangon Pilipinas of religious leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva, and Yasmin Busran-Lao, founder of Al-Mujadillah Development Foundation.

LP president Roxas said the party decided to fill in all the senatorial slots with the deadline for filing of certificates of candidacy yesterday.

They will join former Socio-Economic Planning secretary Ralph Recto; Rep. Teofisto Guingona III; Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon; Akbayan Rep Ana Theresa Hontiveros-Baraquel; former Rep. Nereus Acosta Jr., detained Scout Ranger Danilo Lim; former Sen. Franklin Drilon; Sonia Roco, wife of the late Sen. Raul Roco; book author and lawyer Alex Lacson and former Sen. Serge Osmeña (guest candidate).

Former senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad also filed his COC yesterday, running as an independent senatorial candidate.

Ang Ladlad president Danton Remoto formalized yesterday his bid for a Senate seat.

Remoto said his senatorial bid is an “assurance” in case Comelec rejects Ladlad’s motion to reconsider their petition to be accredited as a sectoral group, enabling them to run in the 2010 party-list polls.   With Aurea Calica, Christina Mendez