ONE day before the deadline of the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC), a total of 52 individuals trooped to the Harbor Garden Tent at Sofitel in Pasay City and filed their COCs for various elective positions for next year’s national and local polls.
For the presidency, 16 people filed their COCs with hopes of getting elected to the highest post in the land.
Foremost among the latest batch of COC filers for president included Ma. Leonora “Leni” Robredo, Vice President of the Philippines, who went to the venue at 3:28 p.m. today.
Just this morning, Robredo announced that she will run for president in next year’s elections.
Almost all, except for one candidate for president, were Independents, including Robredo.
On the other hand, seven people filed their COCs for the vice president position, while 29 others submitted their COCs for senator.
There were some familiar names in the latest batch of senatorial wannabes, including broadcaster/entrepreneur Carl Balita under Aksyon Demokratiko, human rights lawyers Neri Colmenares and Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno under Makabayan and KAMPI, respectively, former vice president Jejomar Binay under his United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party, Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro under the People’s Reform Party (PRP), and former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who will run as an Independent.