Candidate substitution ‘insulting to electoral process’ – ex-guv

By Joseph B.A. Marzan

Former Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. on Friday slammed the idea of substituting presidential candidates in the 2022 elections.

Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code allows for the substitution of candidates due to disqualification, death, or withdrawal, until the mid-day of the election.

In 2009, the substitution for candidates who withdrew was moved by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to mid-December. This was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2013.

In 2015, then-reelectionist Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte filled in for Martin Diño who withdrew as presidential bet of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN).

For the 2022 national and local elections, the deadline for substitutions is on Nov. 15, 2021.

All eyes are on President Duterte’s daughter, Sara, who filed her own candidacy for a 3rd term as Davao City mayor, if she will take the same route.

Two parties have expressed their anticipation for the younger Duterte to run for president – PDP-LABAN which fielded Senator Ronald Dela Rosa; and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).

Lakas-CMD has nominated a certain Anna Capella Velasco, whom the party’s Secretary General, Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. (Surigao del Sur-1st), admitted was a placeholder for the party’s true nominee.

Vice presidential candidate Senator Vicente Sotto III has suggested that the Omnibus Election Code should be amended to limit the provisions on substitution.

Defensor told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo on Friday that the substitution process should not be abused by candidates and parties, saying that it affects the political direction and creates confusion in voter’s minds.

He agreed with Sotto’s suggestion that an amendment to the Omnibus Election Code should be passed to prohibit the abuse of the process.

“The process isn’t there to give another candidate an advantage. That provision is necessary under certain circumstances, but there should also be limitations. They cannot just substitute for whomever they want,” Defensor said.

“The process must not be abused. The implementation of the process must be made only under the restrictive circumstances, like when a candidate dies (sic) or other [reasons], but not just out of want. If they just keep doing what they want, the [law] is useless,” he added.

The former governor gave an example of the process being abused by candidates and used against political opponents.

“One of the dangers there is that a certain candidate may run under the assumption that Candidate ‘A’ would be their opponent, but it turns out that Candidate ‘A’ would not run and would file but still be replaced. That is the disgrace there. It creates political uncertainty, and instability as far as political exercise is concerned,” he explained.

Defensor suggested reforms to the party-list system, which he said has been prone to abuse by political dynasties and other political aspirants.

“[The party-list system] is prone to abuse, and it does not deliver the result that the framers of the 1987 Constitution [foresaw]. The party-list system works in a parliamentary form of government, but not a republican one,” he said.