MANILA – The Commission on Elections will release the final list of candidates for the 2019 midterm elections on Dec. 15, Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said.
Legitimate candidates will be segregated from nuisance candidates, Guanzon told a news conference at the Comelec office in Intramuros on Thursday.
“Those who filed their (certificate of candidacies) are considered legitimate candidates pending the Comelec’s evaluation of the COCs,” Guanzon said. “Final list will be released on Dec. 15 since we will start the printing of ballots in January 2019.”
The candidates “will undergo due process,” she added. “We will conduct hearings and we will decide, based on existing laws or jurisprudence, whether you are a nuisance candidate or not.”
The filing of COCs for the 2019 midterm elections started 8 a.m. on Oct. 11 and closed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. All in all, there were the 152 aspirants vying for the 12 seats at stake in the Senate and 185 party-lists.
“The Senate is where the big fights happen. It is very crucial in defending our democracy. Of course, the present and former senators would make a run for it because 2019 is close to a preview of the 2022 presidential elections,” said Guanzon.
“And then there’s name recall. They figure that since they have the name recall, it would be easier for them,” she added.
Among those who filed their COCs for senator were re-electionists Juan Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Nancy Binay, and Aquilino Pimentel III.
Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr., Sergio Osmeña III, Jinggoy Estrada, Pia Cayetano, and Lito Lapid were seeking a return in the Senate.
Among party-list groups, old timers Akbayan, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis led the pack, and there were also AA-Kasosyo led by blogger Margaux “Mocha” Uson and the OFW Family Club led by Bobby Pacquiao./PN
