With the start of the Philippine election campaign, Pacquiao applied for presidential political news

International boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has formally submitted his Philippine presidential candidacy, as the country begins the election season, and TV personalities, politicians and at least one prisoner are expected to become thousands of candidates for national and local positions. One of the people.

On Friday, when Pacquiao presented documents to the president, he was surprised at the last minute, appointing former Manila mayor and current House of Representatives Lito Atienza (Lito Atienza) as his vice presidential running mate.

The two candidates were accompanied by their spouses when they submitted their candidacy.

The election season in the Philippines is often compared to a street festival that lasts for several months. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, supporters of different candidates took to the streets early on Friday to show their support-waving flags And holding a campaign banner.

The one-week registration process will continue until October 8 and is expected to attract tens of thousands of candidates who will apply for more than 18,000 positions across the country-from the president to the town council members.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who is banned by the Constitutional Lord from seeking a second six-year deadline, will be elected on May 9, 2022, and is expected to attract more than 64 million matches. Condition of voters.

Duterte announced that he would run for vice president, an unprecedented move. His spokesman Harry Roque said that the president has already signed his candidacy, despite speculation that he might withdraw later. Before mid-November, competitors can still be replaced.

‘This is a circus’

So far, only three candidates have announced their intention to run for president, the most famous of which is Pacquiao, the senator hung up his boxing gloves this week and focused on running for president.

Former actor Manila Mayor Isco Moreno and former Philippine police chief Senator Panfilo Lakson have also confirmed that they will run for the election. The three announced candidates are all former allies of Duterte.

But the focus will be on Sara Duterte Carpio, the president’s daughter, even though she said she will not run for a higher position in next year’s polls.

43-year-old Duterte-Carpio (Duterte-Carpio) succeeded her father as mayor of Davao City after he became president. According to continuous polls, she is still by far the most popular presidential candidate , Although her number has declined recently.

Analysts said that since 2016, her father’s successor must be a loyalist, which is essential to protect him from potential legal proceedings in the domestic or international criminal courts, as he was involved in the so-called war on drugs. Thousands of national homicides.

Critics say he is running for the post of vice president to defend his political interests. However, Duterte said his motivation was public service, not power.

Analysts said that for Duterte, having a loyalty as his successor is crucial, because since 2016, he has committed thousands of national murders in the deadly drug war. Thereby protecting him from potential legal proceedings in domestic or international criminal courts. [File: Carl Court/Pool via Reuters]

Even if Duterte-Carpio missed the registration deadline on October 8th, she still won’t be able to delay her registration until November 15th-just like her father did in 2015.

Ferdinand Marcos, the son of the country’s former strongman and the younger of the same name, was also nominated for president by his father’s party. He has not yet announced which position he will hold, but he is often mentioned as a potential running mate for Duterte Carpio.

Vice President Lenny RobredoThe leader of the opposition was also urged by supporters to run for the highest office.

“In the days to come, please join me in praying so that our decision is best for our country,” she said.

Robredo defeated the well-funded little Marcos in the 2016 campaign to become vice president.

In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately, which often results in candidates from rival parties having to work together in the office and often disagreeing on policies-Duterte and Robredo have to do this.

In democracies known for their chaos, election campaigns are usually noisy and star-studded, with competitors sending celebrities to attract crowds to rallies.

Candidates should perform on stage. Their charm and singing and dancing skills can be said to be more important than their policies.

But one candidate who is seeking reelection in the Senate stands out because she will run for her detention center: Senator Leila De Lima. As a long-time critic of Duterte, De Lima has been in jail for suspected drug-related drug links since 2017. Supporters claim that these links were fabricated to silence her.

“This is a circus,” political analyst Tony Lavina told AFP.

“People have a feeling that in this brief moment, they are the boss, pursued by their suitors who ask to sing, dance, and play the clown.”