Several things never change, like Filipinos’ penchant for political glory which was truly reflected in the one-week fiesta called the filing of candidacy for the 2025 elections.

When the Commissions on Elections closed the candidacy filing process, some 184 wannabes for the Senate who would jostle for 12 available seats were listed.

The partylist race attracted a record 190 groups vying for around 60 seats depending on the number of votes the aspirants will get in next year’s polls.

The scheme is unique and is provided for in the 1987 Constitution. It is supposedly an equalizer to district representation which requires huge campaign spending.

Political groups have perverted the process that is now considered a shortcut to entering the House of Representatives and packing the chamber with allies.

Many partylists have nominees who ran for district representative or senator in previous polls but lost.

The election field is very diverse, consisting of comebacking and new politicians, actors, social media celebrities lawyers, and several men on the street who are relying on either divine intervention or are hoping that voters have grown tired of the traditional and corrupt ways of their leaders.

Among the hopefuls is a game show host who has a wrong concept of being a legislator, saying that he wants to help poor families, “those who are hungry, and children who want to attend school.”

He should have offered his services through the Department of Social Work and Development.

Another is a former Commission on Audit commissioner known to have spearheaded the partisan pork barrel scam audit, a detained pastor accused of sex offenses, and a former official who was terminated for alleged misdeals during the early years of the Marcos administration.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte filed his Certificate of Candidacy for the mayoralty post of his hometown Davao City which everybody except for the monkey and his uncle believe he would automatically win.

The once-dominant Liberal Party has also taken the partylist route after being consistently blanked in national elections. Recently released detainee Leila de Lima is its nominee.

While the diversity of the candidates sometimes brings a dose of humor to the practice, the vibrant character of the country’s democratic tradition will have it no other way.

The simplicity of the requirements to seek the vote of the electorate, which generally is that the bet should be a natural-born Filipino citizen who is able to read and write, makes the election a wide-open contest.

Some hypocritical sectors have called for more stringent criteria for the top posts, including educational and intellectual standards, which in a way would introduce selectivity in their favor.

This is coming from groups who want elitist qualifications even for those who cast their votes, as they endlessly blame the voters for the quality of the leaders the country has.

Elections are equalizers since they allow one vote for each citizen no matter the social stature and level of educational attainment — which is the essence of democracy that must be maintained.

It is always the decision of the voters that counts, which is why the adage Vox Populi, Vox Dei (voice of the people, voice of God) applies to suffrage.

Let the candidates, in their most creative ways, convince voters and let the voting process be the determinant of who become leaders.

It has always been the process that Filipinos have known and it should be respected, including by those who assume divine anointment to pick the leaders outside of the voting process.

The candidates are known and it is the voters’ privilege and responsibility to choose who deserves their ballot.