‘Macho bloc’ banners day 2 of poll filing

Members of the “macho bloc” led the second day of filing of Certificates of Candidacy (CoC) at the Manila Hotel.

Former senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and re-electionist Lito Lapid were among those who filed their CoCs. They belong to the administration coalition.

Mulling a political comeback, Lacson filed his CoC for senator, after he had served three terms from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022.

He ran for the presidency in 2004 but lost. In 2022, he ran anew for president, placing fifth. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. won that race.

Lacson said he had wanted to remain retired from politics, but Sotto convinced him to seek another term.

“I just want to thank Tito Sotto for influencing me because as I said before I was enjoying retirement,” he said in Filipino.

“But with his great influence on my career and my personal advocacies, I felt compelled to participate again in the government to serve our countrymen,” he said.

Sotto arrived with his wife, actress Helen Gamboa, and their children, Ciara and Gian Sotto.

If elected anew, the four-term senator said he is looking at fighting fake news and making government services more efficient.

Lapid, who refused to be interviewed, would say only that he wanted to continue what he started, like the Lapid Law or free legal assistance to the poor. He has been a senator since 2019, and previously from 2004 to 2016.

Partylists include Magdalo

Among partylist groups that filed their CoCs were the Ang Komadrona Partylist, United Senior Citizens Partylist, Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat, Pamana Partylist, Barkadahan Partylist, Vendors Partylist, A Teacher Partylist and Apat Dapat Partylist.

The Magdalo Partylist led by its first nominee, Gary Alejano, also filed their CoC, aiming to make a House comeback and hoping to avoid their partylist registration’s cancellation.

The Magdalo Partylist represents the retired personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It failed to win a seat in the House of Representatives in 2022 for the first time since 2013.

Former senator and retired navy officer Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV accompanied Alejano to the filing.

If they win a seat in the House again, among their plans is to file an impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“There’s a high possibility that we will file an impeachment case,” Alejano said, adding that Duterte is unfit to be vice president and is “bound to be impeached.”