Pacquiao runs for Senate seat under Binay’s party

Manny Pacquiao, together with his family, filed his COC for senator under Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Oct. 16. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

The biggest star, Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, was met with cheers by the crowd that had gathered at the ground floor lobby of the Palacio del Gobernador, which also houses several other offices besides the Comelec, when he filed his COC for senator under Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

The boxing icon’s wife, Jinkee and two sons, Jimuel and Michael, watched as he sealed his intention to run for higher office. Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, a prominent Pacquiao backer, was also with him.

Pacquiao was the 108th filer for senator. A check of his documents showed that all the information he gave were typewritten, except for the political party that nominated him. The word “UNA” was handwritten in blue ink, apparently a last-minute addition.

Adoring fans

While waiting for his turn to sign the Comelec’s “integrity pledge” at the far end of the lobby, Pacquiao obliged adoring fans’ requests for photo ops. Even the Comelec staff processing the COCs stopped work to have their pictures taken with the champion.

One group chanted Pacquiao’s name as if he had just won a match. Amid the flurry of excited fans, a man tried his luck but failed to get Pacquiao to sign a painting of the boxer. Others tried to get selfies with the boxer-turned-politician.

Earlier, the same crowd welcomed with delight the arrival of actor Edu Manzano with son, Luis and two nonshowbiz children, Addie and Enzo. A group of women started tailing Manzano and his entourage, apparently trying for a selfie, but were shooed away by security officers.

Buzzer beaters

Manzano, who ran for Vice President in 2010 with Gilbert Teodoro Jr. but lost, will be trying his luck in the 2016 Senate derby as an independent candidate.

Isko Moreno, another actor who was the 111th filer for senator, commanded a modest following, with some taking selfies with him. Moreno is running under deposed President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Other prominent buzzer beaters were resigned energy chief Jericho Petilla, who is running for senator under the ruling Liberal Party, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) chief Joel Villanueva, who was escorted by his father, evangelist Eddie Villanueva and Tesda “career ambassador chef” Boy Logro.

Villanueva, who took time to take a selfie with his stamped COC, is also included in the senatorial ticket of the administration party.

Petilla promised an “oversupply” of power in Mindano if he wins.

Television host and broadcaster Rey Langit, who ran for senator but lost in 2010 under the Lakas-Kampi party, will be trying his luck for the second time, this time with the UNA ticket.

Police Director Getulio Napeñas, former chief of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, who was dismissed after the Mamasapano debacle, also showed up at the Comelec yesterday to register as a senatorial candidate under Vice President Jejomar Binay’s UNA.

Open to adoption

Former Sen. Richard Gordon, who ran but lost in the last two elections, will try one more time to get into the Senate. Gordon filed his COC for senator under the Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines.

In an interview with reporters, Gordon said he was open to being “adopted” by Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero into their senatorial ticket. “I am a foundling. I can be adopted … that’s the new phenomenon now in the country,” he said.

“In politics, we are a foundling nation because a foundling is an abandoned child … and we have been abandoned by our leaders. But it’s up to us as foundlings to find ourselves so that we stop floundering as a nation,” he said.

For OFWs

OFW (overseas Filipino worker) Family Club party-list Rep. Roy Señeres also formally registered his bid for President, bringing with him his entire ticket under the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka.

His vice presidential running mate is Teodulo Malangen. Señeres’ senatorial ticket is composed of Gion Gounet, Alexander Ali, Gerardo del Mundo, Jude Sabio and Melchor Chavez.

Señeres named Susan Ople, Sherwin Gatchalian, Samuel Pagdilao, Sandra Cam and Roman Romulo as guest candidates of his party. Ople filed her COC for senator earlier under Manny Villar’s Nacionalista Party.

All hearsay

A son of detained retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan filed the COC of his father who is running for senator as an independent.

The accusations of human rights violations against his father that led to his being called “The Butcher” by leftists were all hearsay, the younger Palparan said. He said his father believes that the communist New People’s Army (NPA) remains the biggest threat to national security and would pursue an “NPA-free Philippines, a China-Free West Philippine Sea and the reestablishment of United States military bases.”

Levito Baligod, who acted as lawyer for many of the pork scam whistle-blowers, said he was now in talks with former Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Walden Bello, to form a group of independent senatorial candidates.

A representative filed Bello’s COC for him, as the former Akbayan party-list representative was in the United States taking care of his sick wife.

Ex-MILF spokesperson joins list

Former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan III also formalized his bid for the Senate under the Bagumbayan party.

“I love my country. I love the Filipino people and I am here to serve them. If they want me, they can have me. If they don’t want me, then they can leave me,” Alunan said.

Other senatorial aspirants who made it to the deadline were Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption founding chair Dante Jimenez, former National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chief Eduardo del Rosario, former Manila Councilor Greco Belgica, former Quezon City Rep. Dante Liban, former drug enforcement agency chief Dionisio Santiago, and Eid Kabalu, formerly a spokesperson for the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

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