Update
The “dilawan” or the yellow campaign color of the opposition Liberal Party was nowhere in sight when the opposition senatorial bets filed their candidacy at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) main office in Intramuros, Manila.
READ: Opposition completes 8-member senatorial slate for 2019 polls
As the filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) came to a close on Wednesday, the opposition bets vying for Senate seats in the May 2019 midterm elections wore varying colors as they filed their respective COCs throughout the week.
READ: COC filing ends: What’s next for political aspirants?
Senatorial aspirant and a prominent opposition figure, Mar Roxas, arrived at the Comelec to file his certificate on Tuesday with nothing but a few companions with him and wearing a light blue button-up shirt.
READ: Mar Roxas files candidacy for senator
Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net
Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, meanwhile, had on light blue-green button-up shirt on which complimented the attire of his supporters.
READ: Chel Diokno formalizes run for senator in 2019
Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net
Diokno was one of the LP nominees who were the first to be introduced as part of the opposition slate, together with Senator Bam Aquino and former Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada.
READ: LP fields Aquino, Diokno, Tañada for 2019 Senate race
Tañada wore a vibrant green button-up shirt when he filed his certificate of candidacy. His supporters were clad in the same color as well.
READ: Erin Tañada joins 2019 senatorial race
Photo by Faye Orellana/INQUIRER.net
Another LP senatorial bet, who was the first to file a COC from the opposition last Thursday was Samira Gutoc.
The former member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission was dressed in a white and black ensemble, with green and white dominating her supporters’ attire.
READ: Ex-Bangsamoro commission member first LP bet to file COC
Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net
Senatorial aspirant Florin Hilbay wore a dark blue polo shirt on Wednesday when he filed his COC, while his supporters wore a mix of white and blue.
He served as solicitor general during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.
READ: Aquino SolGen files COC, vies for Senate seat
Photo by Faye Orellana /INQUIRER.net
Meanwhile, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano wore a crisp white button-up shirt with a Magdalo logo on his left chest pocket, while his supporters were clad in white and red.
READ: Alejano files COC at Comelec
Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net
Some of the candidates however stuck with the LP “uniform” as reelectionist Senator Bam Aquino and election lawyer Romulo Macalintal stamped the yellow color in their respective attires.
Aquino, with his crowd of supporters, wore a black shirt with a print of his name in yellow.
The senator filed his certificate of candidacy on Tuesday and was accompanied to the Comelec by his family.
READ: Bam Aquino files COC, seeks reelection in 2019
Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net
Meanwhile, Macalintal who is also the lead counsel of Vice President Leni Robredo in the electoral protest filed against her by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., wore a black vest with a yellow logo of his name placed on both sides of his chest.
He filed his COC on the last day of its filing on Wednesday.
READ: Macalintal files COC for senator in 2019 polls
Photo by Christia Ramos/INQUIRER.net
But Senator Pangilinan, LP president, explained why none of the opposition bets wore yellow during the filing.
“There is a need to emphasize the fact that the opposition candidates come from various groups and not just the LP hence these groups such as Magdalo, Akbayan and Aksyon carry their respective party colors,” he told INQUIRER.net in a text message on Thursday.
Meanwhile, when asked if there was a conscious effort not to use yellow during the COC filing, LP senatorial bet Tañada said: No, there was no conscious effort. We were not told to wear yellow. Green has always been my campaign color when I ran for the House (of Representatives).
It seems that the campaign color of the opposition is mixed but for the 2019 polls, they will have a united stand against “the anti-democratic and anti-poor policies of the current administration.”
“Our candidates are all united against the anti-democratic and anti-poor policies of the current administration (i.e. charter change, extrajudicial killings and tokhang, China expansionism, corruption, and misogyny),” Pangilinan said in a statement on Wednesday. /muf/ac