A Placeholder? Bato Dela Rosa Files COC For President

The PDP-Laban faction identified with President Duterte and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi sprung a surprise on Friday, Oct. 8, fielding Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as its standard-bearer for the 2022 elections.

But the move triggered speculations that he was a mere placeholder for ruling party’s real presidential candidate as substitution is allowed until Nov. 15.

Dela Rosa, who is a senator since 2019, may also go back to his position if he withdraws or loses in next year’s presidential race. His term as senator ends in 2025.

Dela Rosa filed his certificate of candidacy about an hour before the deadline of filing of COCs at the Commission on Elections’ set up at the Harbor Garden Tent of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila hotel wearing a green Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) t-shirt, the regional party of presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is being egged by her supporters to run for president.

Just before filing his COC however, he was seen wearing the red jacket of the PDP-Laban accompanied by Sen. Francis Tolentino and Cusi, the president of their faction.

“It was a party decision na tumakbo ako...Matagal na. Matagal na pero tinatago lang namin. ‘Yan ang mga diskarte na, ‘pag maaga ka magbalita, titirahin ka talaga. Kaya tinatago lang natin ‘yun (It was a party decision that I run. It has long been a decision but we’re just hiding it. That’s the way it should be done. If you announce early, you’ll really be hit. So we’ve just been hiding it),” Dela Rosa told reporters.

He said he is determined to run for president amid rumors that he was last-minute pick as Duterte-Carpio has so far adamantly refused to succumb to prodding from supporters of the administration that she run to hopefully succeed her father.

“Would I file (my COC) if I didn’t want (to run for president)? For me to run for president, I filed,” he said in Filipino.

When asked if he would be replaced by Duterte’s daughter, he said: “Then it’s better.” “But this is a party decision. This is not my personal decision,” he said.

When pressed further about Duterte-Carpio substituting him, Dela Rosa replied: I don’t know how we do it.”

He noted Duterte-Carpio is not a member of her father’s party, adding he was not aware whether or not there are talks to have her replace him on or before Nov. 15, the Comelec deadline for candidate substitution.

Dela Rosa was visibly irked when a reporter asked him whether or not his filing was a “mockery” of the elections and cut off the latter who was not yet finished asking his question.

“Why? Do I look like a mockery to you? Do I look like a mockery to you? I won as senator. I was No. 5 in the last elections. Senator No. 5. Is that a mockery? is it a mockery to the 19 million Filipinos who voted for me as senator of this republic? That is an insulting question,” he said and ended the press conference.

“Ba-Go 2022”

It can be recalled that in 2015, Martin Diño filed his COC for president under PDP-Laban but he was eventually replaced by Duterte the following December.

Dela Rosa’s move would mean his running mate would be Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, a long-time aide of Duterte who earlier his COC for vice president.

 PDP-Laban secretary general Melvin Matibag dubbed the tandem as “Ba-Go 2022,” a portmanteau of Dela Rosa’s nickname and his running mate’s surname.

Go is earlier nominated as the PDP-Laban standard-bearer with Duterte as the vice presidential candidate following the party’s national convention.

Go, however, publicly and formally declined the nomination and there was no word of the PDP-Laban’s next move until the former surprised many in filing his COC for vice president and Duterte announcing that he was retiring from politics last Oct. 2

Duterte also hinted that his daughter will be seeking the presidency that is why Go slid to the vice presidential race.

As of Friday, the mayor continued to refuse to run. Last August, she disclosed that she had an “unpleasant event” with her father where the latter asked her to either run for president with Go as her running mate or endorse him as vice presidential candidate.

Just earlier this week, Cusi told reporters that the party’s search for standard-bearer was back to square one with Go running for vice president.

“Spur of the moment”

The other faction of PDP-Laban is chaired by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is also running for president under the group along with two other parties.

Pimentel pointed out that the other faction failed to follow its own party process from its national convention to its nomination process.

“Somebody who runs for president on a spur of the moment decision is not a serious candidate,” Pimentel said. 

Substitution rules

Lawyer Norlyn Casingal of the Comelec’s law department said any aspirant who filed a candidacy under a political party can withdraw and can be substituted by members within the party.

“From now until Nov. 15, 2021 any aspirant who has a political party may withdraw their certificate of candidacy, and may be substituted by a nominee from the same political party,” Casingal told reporters in a virtual press conference.

However, Comelec law department director Rex Laudiangco explained a non-member of a political party “who takes oath for that particular party and eventually declared as a member will have all the rights of substitution under the law.”

The deadline for voluntary substitution is on Nov. 15 while involuntary substitution, in case of death or disqualification, is until noon of election day.

Those running as independent are not qualified to get a substitution.

Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said that the rules on substitution, unless amended, would remain the same.

He assured the public that the poll body will not change the “rules in the middle of the game,” allaying fears that the poll body will favor a certain candidate.

“Rest assured that the Comelec will be very firm. Your fear – that will not happen with this Comelec en banc. We assure you that we will be fair,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, two former spokespersons for President Duterte filed their certificates of candidacy yesterday, the last day for filing – one for president and the other for senator in the 2022 polls.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella filed his COC as independent candidate for president while Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo is vying for senator under the Cusi faction of the PDP-Laban.

Abella told reporters that he chose to run as an independent candidate after Duterte did not offer him the presidency under the ruling PDP-Laban. He said he would work with anybody who has the same ideology as him.

While admitting the lack of a political machinery to run a campaign for the 2022 polls, Abella said that he is listening for the greater calling to serve the Filipino people.

“All I know is that, when I shared this, people high and low, they’re quite open. So perhaps they see me as a glimmer of hope, what can I say? But in terms of political backers (who) promised me finance, no I don’t have that,” he added, noting that he informed Duterte of his intention through Go.

In his speech, he claimed the country will prosper and become a better nation if there is a leader who would push for inclusivity, allowing people from all walks of life to participate in nation-building activities and programs, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Panelo did not make a speech or grant an interview.

Meanwhile, the militant Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas said the five presidential candidates should “cross party lines and forge a united opposition” against a Marcos-Duterte tandem in the national elections.

The group asked the camps of Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and labor leader Leody de Guzman to “heed the collective clamor of the Filipinos for a united opposition that will end the Duterte reign and thwart the return of the Marcoses to Malacañang.”

“We strongly and urgently appeal to the five presidential aspirants to set aside partisan politics and focus their political energy and resources to frustrate the sinister plot of Duterte and his political allies to holdover presidency in whatever form. Forge a political unity against the Duterte-Marcos tandem once and for all,” Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya spokesman, said in a statement.

He added that “all the political forces opposed to the Duterte-Marcos collaboration could commit themselves to a broad united formation that includes people’s organizations, hu-man-rights advocates, anti-fraud electoral watchdogs, independent institutions and well-respected individuals.” – With Rhodina Villanueva