More Than 60 Candidates File COC For Philippine President

December 1, 2009 5:08 a.m. EST

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - More than 60 presidential candidates have filed with the Philippine Commission on Elections on Tuesday, the last day for filing of the certifiucates. In contrast, only nine filed COCs for the position of vice president, while for senators about 11 certificates were filed.

Among those who beat the Tuesday deadline were administration bet Gilberto Teodoro, Senator Consuelo Madrigal and former Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando.

Teodoro filed his candidacy together with running mate, actor Edu Manzano, and some of their senatorial bets. Madrigal came alone to file her COC as an independent candidate. Fernando came with running mate Senator Richard Gordon. Fernando and Gordon are running under Gordon's Bagumbayan Party, but they do not have senatorial candidates.

Outgoing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also filed her COC in Pampanga to run as congresswoman for the province's second district. While some sectors criticized the president's announcement not to retire from politics, many legal experts opined that the Philippine Constitution allows an outgoing president to seek reelection for another post.

However, many legal minds are divided when it comes to the candidacy of Arroyo's predecessor, former President Joseph Estrada who is seeking reelection because of a constitutional ban on a second term for a former president and the condition of the absolute pardon granted by Arroyo to Estrada that he would not run for any public office anymore.

Another presidential candidate, lawyer and known Marcos loyalist Oliver Lozano, refiled a petition for the disqualification of Estrada on the argument the latter is not eligible for reelection.