MANILAwingo, Philippines — Senatorial frontrunner Erwin Tulfo yesterday formalized his run by filing his certificate of candidacy for next year’s midterm elections, as well as Sen. Pia Cayetano who will be up for reelection, while Sen. Koko Pimentel III filed his COC to run as representative of the 1st District of Marikina.
Tulfo, a former broadcast journalist and incumbent ACT-CIS party-list representative, is running under the Lakas-CMD political party, and is part of the administration senatorial slate.
He was sworn in over the weekend as the newest member of the country’s most dominant political party, now comprised of 112 members in the House of Representatives, the biggest power bloc in the chamber.
“Rep. Erwin Tulfo is a tremendous asset to both our party and the nation, embodying not only seasoned public service but also courage and integrity,” Lakas-CMD president and Speaker Martin Romualdez said.
“Cong. Erwin’s track record speaks for itself, and we are honored to welcome him into Lakas-CMD. His fearless advocacy for the underprivileged and commitment to improving the lives of ordinary Filipinos make him a perfect fit for our mission of nation-building,” Romualdez said.
“Ever since, I, and my siblings, am focused on helping the poor and oppressed,” Tulfo said, referencing his brothers – media personality Ben Tulfo who is also gunning for a Senate seat as an independent candidate, and Sen. Raffy Tulfo.
On the possibility of all three Tulfo brothers becoming senators, he said it would be up to the people to decide, adding that there is currently no law against political dynasties.
“We let the people decide. The people have the power, because we don’t have the law. If we have a law, then (political dynasties) will end,” Tulfo pointed out.
If elected to the Senate, he said he is ready to support an anti-dynasty law if it’s for the benefit of the nation.
Seeking to get reelected and rejoin her brother in the Senate is administration bet Cayetano, who filed her COC yesterday.
She was accompanied to the Manila Hotel Tent for the filing by her brother, Sen. Peter Cayetano and sister-in-law and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.
Before filing, Cayetano, known for her regular participation in marathons and other athletic events, rode a bike and led a group of 150 cyclists from Taguig to the Manila Hotel.
Pimentel, on his second and last term as senator, is aiming for the Marikina congressional seat to revive the city’s shoemaking industry and address flooding.
He said “Marikina is actually my hometown. I told my kababayans that I didn’t just grow up here in Marikina. I matured here in Marikina. So, we love Marikina. I also married someone from Marikina.”
Pimentel said he would first work on the shoe industry.
“As a senator, the Senate is involved in free trade agreements. I see that the shoes should be prioritized. We can benefit from our free trade agreements entered into in treaty form. So, I will make sure that the shoe industry in Marikina is revived,” he said. “And of course, the problem of the floods. This time, I was flooded twice in Marikina. So, I would focus on the flood issue.”
Sen. Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel, accompanied by his wife Kathryna, shows his certificate of candidacy for one of Marikina City’s seats in the House of Representatives. At right, Kenneth Gatchalian, younger brother of Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, also filed his COC for the first district of Valenzuela City. He was accompanied by wife Anette and eldest daughter Lexi.
Meanwhile, an ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Jimmy Bondoc officially launched his senatorial bid by filing his COC yesterday.
Bondoc, who will be running under PDP-Laban, was accompanied to the Manila Hotel Tent by Sen. Robin Padilla and actress Vivian Velez.
The singer-turned-lawyer said he would serve as the “voice” of the music and entertainment industry if elected to the Senate. He further vowed to pursue measures against corruption.
As a former official of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Bondoc said he is not entirely against Philippine offshore gaming operations, as long it would not lead to social disturbance and disagreement with other countries.
Aside from Tulfo, Cayetano and Bondoc, other aspirants who filed their COCs for the senatorial race are Junbert Guigayuma, Wilson Amad, Six Lagare, Ernesto Arellano and John Rafael Escobar.
Senate aspirants jump to 78Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said eight senatorial aspirants filed their COCs yesterday, bringing to 78 the number of those who have officially expressed their intention to join next year’s senatorial race.
For the party-list elections, Garcia said 87 organizations and political parties have so far submitted their certificate of nomination and acceptance. The figure includes the 14 that filed their CONA yesterday.
“We anticipated the surge of aspirants today and on the last day of filing (on Oct. 8),” Garcia said, as he noted that the commission is readying contingency measures to accommodate all aspirants.
The poll chief reminded the candidates to have their COC assessed early to avoid delay in the filing of their COC and CONA for the party-list groups.
He said the Comelec will process the COC even beyond the cutoff time of candidates already inside the venue for filing by 5 p.m.
The filing of COCs nationwide, Garcia said, has been peaceful for the past six days.
As of Saturday night, the Comelec has received over 17,000 COCs filed by candidates for national and local posts, as well as organizations and political parties vying for party-list elections next year.
Today, former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, who will be seeking a Senate seat, is set to file his COC.
In a previous interview, Singson said, he wants to run for the Senate to address key issues in the transport sector, including modernization and digitalization, and said he had long been supporting programs for the improvement of the transport sector. — Cecille Suerte Felipewingo, Delon Porcalla