Chel Diokno said that “placeholders” should be declared as nuisance candidates in elections.
CHEL DIOKNO — The senatorial aspirant said that “placeholders” should be declared as nuisance candidates in order to avoid candidate substitution due to withdrawal later on.
Diokno was asked in an INQside Look interview if he favored removing withdrawal as an allowable ground for candidate substitution under the Omnibus Election Code.
For him, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) should already declare those who filed a certificate of candidacy (COC) but have no genuine intent to run as nuisance candidates before it opened the window for the substitution of candidates.
“Kung meron man tayong dapat amiyendahan sa batas, it should be that Comelec should be required to rule first whether that candidate is a nuisance candidate before allowing the substitution,” Diokno said.
During the last days of candidate substitutions this month, the poll body saw a number of major candidate replacements, including Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Senator Bong Go, and President Rodrigo Duterte.
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According to Diokno, there’s a way to tighten up the rules in order to make sure that only candidates who truly have an intention to run filed their certificates of candidacy.
“Kasi ang nangyayari, parang ginagawa nila ngayon, may placeholder na magpa-file ng COC, wala naman talaga siyang intention na tumakbo. Kaya lang siya nag-file ay para pwedeng magkaroon ng substitution later,” Diokno said.
The President formalized his candidacy for the Senate as a substitute candidate, while his daughter replaced Lakas-CMD’s Lyle Uy to run for the vice-presidency in the 2022 elections.
Meanwhile, Go filed his certificate of candidacy for president as a substitute for Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan’s (PDDS) initial standard-bearer Grepor Belgica.
Go initially filed a certificate of candidacy to join the vice-presidential race under the Cusi-led PDP-Laban.
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