Substitution

DECIDING to field one’s candidacy used to be a matter of personal commitment like it were a “do or die” situation. In fact, for too long, substitution of a candidate by another was never an option for the candidate that originally filed this/her certificate of candidacy unless he or she died or incapacitated.

To our recollection, substitution was only resorted to by families of the deceased candidates, and hardly even by political parties, i.e., wife or husband or son or daughter substituting for a family member.

But things have changed since the elections laws have allowed for a period for substitution, not merely for reasons of death or sickness.

As seen today, the policy of substitution has since become a tool for political maneuvering of politicos attached to the filing of certificates of candidacies. Politicos are now given a grace period for final decisions and political alignments. In a sense, it has made the deadline for filing of candidacies a sham and created an opportunity for political haggling and negotiations effectively keeping the electorate in limbo until substitution day.

So far, we have seen legitimate motives for substitutions but it will not be farfetched to see it abused. The day we begin to eventually see more than our usual number of nuisance candidates in the local level will be the day we should begin to worry.

Beware of “COCs for sale” on substitution day!

 

‘Santo Rodrigo’

FROM “Sinner Duterte” to “Santo Rodrigo.” That is what Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wants now to project himself to the people as he revs up his bid to become president of the republic in the May 2016 elections.  That was an offshoot of his cussing Pope Francis following the Pope-triggered traffic jam in January that saw Duterte spend a total of 5 hours just to get to his appointment only 5 kilometers away.  After a rain of criticisms from netizens was thrown his way, Duterte quickly apologized the following morning.  He even asked for forgiveness from not only his bishop in Davao but from the Filipino people.

To prove his sincerity, he said he would quit the presidential race if “the Pope so desires.”  He promised to stop cursing, swearing he’d pay P1,000 for each expletive he utter—to be remitted to Caritas.  “From today onwards, please call me ‘Santo Rodrigo,’” Duterte said.

Saint or sinner, you take Duterte for what he is:  A thuggish, bare-knuckle type of a leader who calls a spade a spade without batting an eyelash.

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