Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. both filed certificates of candidacy on Tuesday (October 13).
Romualdez is running for senator and Marcos for vice president.
Related: Marcos formally declares vice presidential bid
Romualdez’s supporters cheered and chanted his name as he entered the building in Intramuros.
He is running under Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrat Party (Lakas-CMD) — which, according to him, had yet to come up with an official slate.
He said he hasn’t decided which presidentiable to support just yet.
However, he said he was in talks with Sen. Grace Poe, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice President Jejomar Binay, and even Davao Cty Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
He said all three had talked to him about being a guest candidate in their senatorial slates — although the latest word from Duterte was that he was not running for president.
Romualdez said he would want to bring malasakit or concern to the Senate — the same concern he had when he led his constituency through Super Typhoon Yolanda.
Meantime, nothing could have prepared the poll body for the arrival of Marcos.
It was pandemonium at the Palacio del Gobernador — what with employees in the building coming down to the lobby to get snapshots of the senator.
No other candidate had received this reaction yet — people craning their necks, holding up their phones and tablets — it was just chaotic.
It was so noisy that Marcos did not deliver a speech except to thank the crowd for their adulation.
He said he took that as a good omen.
“Maraming salamat sa inyong interes. Nagpa-file pa lang nandito na kayong lahat so i hold it as a good sign. Pangalawa, sabi sa akin ay I am the seventh person to file. So andyan po din yung lucky number 7 para sa aming mga Marcos.”
[Translation: “Thank you very much everyone for the warm welcome even if I am just in the filing stage, you’re all here already. I take it as a good sign. Secondly, I was told I was the seventh person to file (for vice president). Seven is the lucky number of the Marcoses.”]
All in all, so far, 37 people are running for president, seven for vice president and 25 for senator — including Rep. Samuel Pagdilao of the ACT-CIS party-list.
Things are expected to come to a head on Thursday (October 15) when, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Poe and former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II will file their COCs for president — along with a third major candidate whom Chairman Andres “Andy” Bautista declined to reveal.
