12 Senate seats, 76 bets

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) cleared 76 senatorial candidates and 134 partylist groups for the May midterm elections.

The poll body stressed, however, that there are still 13 candidates who still have pending cases.

“Note that there are 13 names included in this list which are still pending finality. Should a certificate of finality be issued, these 13 names will be stricken off the list,” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said in a statement.

Jimenez, however, said the list of partylist groups can still get trimmed.

“The 13 names will be identified to give time for the certificates of finality to be issued,” he added.

Jimenez said the candidates included former Sen. Sergio Osmena III and re-electionist Sen. “Koko” Pimentel who both faced disqualification cases before the Comelec office.

Pimentel was slapped two disqualification cases after petitioners Atty. Ferdinand Topacio and Glenn Chong claimed that Pimentel allegedly served two consecutive terms in the Senate which is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution.

Osmeña, on the other hand, was charged by the Comelec’s campaign finance office and was sought for “perpetual disqualification” after the former senator failed to submit his campaign expense reports in 2010 and 2016.

The Comelec should have announced the official candidates for the midterm polls last 15 December but was deferred as the poll body resolved the disqualification cases of some candidates.

Aside from Osmeña and Pimentel, the Comelec also included the three ex-senators involved in the pork barrel controversy, namely, former Senators Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada.

The other candidates are: Abejo, Vangie; Afuang, Abner; Aguilar, Freddie; Alba, Albert; Albani, Shariff; Alejano, Gary; Alfajora, Richard; Alunan, Raffy; Angara, Edgardo Sonny; Ansula, Ernesto; Aquino, Benigno Bam; Arcega, Gerald; Arellano, Ernesto; Arias, Marcelino; Arpa, Hussayin; Austria, Bernard; Baldevarona, Balde, and Binay, Nancy;

Caceres, Jesus; Casiño, Toti; Cayetano, Pia; Chavez, Melchor; Chong, Glenn; Colmenares, Neri; David, Rizalito; de Alban, Angelo; de Guzman, Ka Leody; de la Rosa, Bato; Diokno, Chel and Ejercito, Estrada JV.

Also included in the list are Encarnacion, Alexander; Escudero, Agnes; Francisco, Elmer; Gaddi, Charlie; Gadon, Larry; Generoso, Gen Pederalismo; Geroy, Geremy, and Go, Bong;

Guigayuma, Junbert; Gutoc, Samira; Hilbay, Pilo; Iliw Iliw, William; Jangao, Bfg Abraham; Javellana, RJ; Javelona, Josefa; Lapid, Lito; Macalintal, Macaromy; Mallillin, Emily; Mangondato, Faisal; Mangudadatu, Dong; Manicad, Jiggy; Marcos, Imee; Marquez, Norman; Matula, Jose Sonny; Meniano, Luther; Merano, Rolando, and Montaño, Allan.

Other senatorial bets are Nalliw, Joan Sheelah; Naval, Frank; Negapatan, Eric; Ong, Doc Willie; Osmeña, Serge; Padilla, Dado; Pimentel, Koko; Poe, Grace; Roleda, Dan Kaibigan; Roque, Harry “Spox”; Roxas, Mar; Sahidulla, Lady Ann; Tañada, Lorenzo Erin Tapat; Tolentino, Francis; Valdes, Butch; Villar, Cynthia.

Chong, who is Pimentel’s petitioner in the disqualification case, is an election reform advocate while Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Atty. Larry Gadon, Enrile, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and former Palace spokesman Harry Roque were also qualified to run for senator in the upcoming elections.

Twelve of the 24 Senate seats, as well as all House seats and all elected posts of local government units are up for grabs on 13 May 2019.