Two Marcoses, 13 others make the cut for 2022 presidential polls; Parlade out

FILE PHOTOS Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and retired Gen. Antonio Parlade.

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday released the tentative list of political aspirants in the next year’s polls, with two Marcos namesakes making the tentative cut for the presidential race.

In a list released Friday, the Comelec trimmed the number of presidential aspirants to 15 from 97 individuals who previously filed for their certificate of candidacy for the highest elective post in the country.

The list provided by the poll body revealed that there are two Marcos on the list: that of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and a certain Maria Aurora Marcos, an independent bet.

Also included in the initial Comelec list for president are as followed:

Abella, Ernie (independent)
Andes, Hilario (independent)
Arcega, Gerald (independent)
De Guzman, Leody (Partido Lakas ng Masa)
Domagoso, Isko Moreno (Aksyon Demokratiko)
Gonzales, Norberto (Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas)
Lacson, Ping (Partido Para Sa Demokratikong Reporma)
Lihaylihay, Danilo (independent)
Mangondato, Faisal (Katipunan ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi)
Montemayor, Jose Jr. (Democratic Party of the Philippines)
Niez, Edgar (independent)
Pacquiao, Manny Pacman (Abag Promdi)
Robredo, Leni (independent)

For vice president, the following names shall appear on the ballot:

Atienza, Lito (Abag Promdi)
Bello, Walden (Partido Lakas ng Masa)
David, Rizalito (Democratic Party of the Philippines)
Duterte, Sara (Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats)
Lopez, Manny (Workers and Peasants Party)
Ong, Doc Willie (Aksyon Demokratiko)
Pangilinan, Kiko (Liberal Party)
Serapio, Carlos (Katipunan ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi)
Sotto, Vicente Tito (Nationalist People’s Coalition)

Parlade out

Among those who failed to make the cut was retired General Antonio Parlade Jr., former spokesperson of the government’s counterinsurgency body, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).

Parlade filed his candidacy through substitution, through a certain Antonio “Butch” Valdes, who is a member of the Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino, who enlisted as an independent bet.

Comelec earlier said that independent bets could not file for substitution, rendering Parlade’s presidential bid invalid.

The 2022 national and local elections will be held on May 9, 2022. The election period, however, will start on January 9 until June 8 next year.

EDV