Hontiveros on recent presidential, VP race ‘theatrics’: Parang pinaiikot tayo

MANILA, Philippines — It seems that Filipinos are being played following the “theatrics” and “spectacle” that happened in the presidential and vice presidential race over the weekend, Senator Risa Hontiveros told INQside Look on Monday.

There were several shake-ups in the presidential and vice presidential race, with Davao City mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio deciding to vie for the vice presidential post.

Following this, Senator Bong Go instead ran for the presidential seat while President Rodrigo Duterte is said to also pursue the vice president’s post—which means there will be a face-off between him and the Davao City mayor who is also his daughter.

“Parang pinaiikot tayo nitong spectacle the past few days pero at least matatapos na ito by tonight (It seems that we are being played with the spectacle over the past few days but at least it all ends tonight),” Hontiveros said in an interview with INQside Look.

“Anyone who’s qualified has the right to run pero masyadong naging theatrical kaya bordering on—or naging pambabastos (Anyone who’s qualified has the right to run but they made it overly theatrical so it borders on disrespect),” the senator added.

Furthermore, Hontiveros once again said that the recent developments in the presidential and vice presidential race seemed to be straight from the “Duterte playbook” from 2016 when President Duterte, who was then Davao City mayor, also announced his presidential bid the last minute.

“Sila na yung unang sumulat ng ganitong script kaya nga napasok sa electoral playbook natin bagamat under our current omnibus election code, pinapayagan ang substitution, pero medyo dinevelop pa nila ito almost to the point of a crude art,” Hontiveros said.

(They are the ones who wrote this kind of script which has since made our electoral playbook. Even though under our current omnibus election code, substitution is allowed, it seems that they have developed this almost to the point of a crude art.)

“‘Yun ang nakikita natin nitong mga nakaraang araw that candidates or parties would keep the people and voters guessing para lang to capture the primary advantage for themselves pero leaving at a disadvantage yung mas maayos na paghahanda talaga ng buong political system at lalo na ng mga mamamayang botante,” she added.

(This is what we have seen the past few days that candidates or parties would keep the people and voters guessing to capture the primary advantage for themselves but leaving at a disadvantage the proper preparation for the whole political system and the voters.)

The Commission on Elections has set the deadline for political parties to replace or make substitutions of their candidates to November 15, Monday.

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