Bizarre candidates such as the “Ultimate Messiah” and a man who crows like a chicken are seeking their moments of fame by making unlikely bids for president in next year’s Philippine elections.
Their chances of winning are nonexistent, but they have given a splash of color to the start of a long election race in which the Southeast Asian nation’s chaotic brand of democracy will be on full display.
Rigoberto Madera was the first to register as a candidate at the election commission on Friday, waving handouts identifying him as “Star General Ace Diamond, Commander-in-Chief on Earth ... Emparador [Emperor], Ultimate Messiah.”
But for Madera, 62, winning the May elections and becoming president for six years is only a stepping stone.
“I will run for president of the US, after [US President] Barack Obama,” he declared to reporters.
Another prospective candidate who rushed to register at the Commission of Elections was George Samia, 60, although he said he preferred to go by the name of “Samia Manok,” which translates to Samia Chicken.
To emphasize this, he crowed “cock-a-roo-a-roo,” much to the amusement of the election registrars.
Taxi-driver Wendell Lope insisted on filing his candidacy for president even though at 34, he does not meet the minimum age of 40 as required by the Constitution.
Lope argued that the age restriction was wrong, citing a quote from Filipino national hero Jose Rizal that “the youth are the hope of the nation.”
His main platform is a plan to sue Spain, the US and Japan for damages in relation to their colonial activities in the Philippines from the 1500s to 1946.
Joining the clamor to register on day one was David Torralba Alimurung, 70, who said he was a retired general and represented the “Majestic Alliance of Positive Activists.”
He said he was running because, as president, he wanted to promote a plan to combat climate change by providing seedlings from the Philippines to reforest the deserts of the Middle East.
Daniel Magtira, 49, came to the commission blowing a party horn and handing out T-shirts with “Vote Daniel Magtira” printed on them.
His main reason for running is to push for the Philippines to switch from its standard 220 volts on electricity sockets to 110 volts.
“We will advance if we are like America with 110 volts. And if a person gets electrocuted, it won’t be as bad,” Magtira said.
Insurance agent Mel Carreon, 63, sought to stand out from the crowd.
He wore a red headband and a sash emblazoned with his name, and loudly proclaimed himself as a “long-term survivor who refused to surrender” — but refused to say what conflict he had been involved in.
Such candidates have been a staple of presidential elections in the Philippines since the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos ushered in a tumultuous era of democracy.
In previous elections, men claiming to be Jesus Christ or relatives of Adolf Hitler have also registered to run.
The election commission usually declares them “nuisance candidates,” however, and removes their names from the ballots before polling day.
Nevertheless, commission spokesman James Jimenez said authorities would not immediately dismiss the likes of the “Ultimate Messiah,” and that they would all have a chance to prove themselves legitimate presidential contenders.
“The primary thing is we try to determine whether the candidacy is in good faith,” Jimenez told local TV network ABS-CBN. “Essentially what we are looking at is to decide if a candidacy has been filed to cause confusion in voters or perhaps for the purpose of putting the process in mockery or disrepute.”
Jimenez said the candidates also had to prove they had the capacity to conduct a nationwide campaign — meaning they needed to have both the money and the political machinery to campaign nationwide.
A feud has broken out between the top leaders of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on whether to maintain close ties with Russia. The AfD leader Alice Weidel this week slammed planned visits to Russia by some party lawmakers, while coleader Tino Chrupalla voiced a defense of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The unusual split comes at a time when mainstream politicians have accused the anti-immigration AfD of acting as stooges for the Kremlin and even spying for Russia. The row has also erupted in a year in which the AfD is flying high, often polling above the record 20 percent it
Ecuadorans are today to vote on whether to allow the return of foreign military bases and the drafting of a new constitution that could give the country’s president more power. Voters are to decide on the presence of foreign military bases, which have been banned on Ecuadoran soil since 2008. A “yes” vote would likely bring the return of the US military to the Manta air base on the Pacific coast — once a hub for US anti-drug operations. Other questions concern ending public funding for political parties, reducing the number of lawmakers and creating an elected body that would
The latest batch from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s e-mails illustrates the extraordinary scope of his contacts with powerful people, ranging from a top Trump adviser to Britain’s ex-prince Andrew. The US House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on trying to force release of evidence gathered on Epstein by law enforcement over the years — including the identities of the men suspected of participating in his alleged sex trafficking ring. However, a slew of e-mails released this week have already opened new windows to the extent of Epstein’s network. These include multiple references to US President Donald
CHARGES: The former president, who maintains his innocence, was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison for a failed coup bid, as well as an assassination plot Far-right former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is running out of options to avoid prison, after judges on Friday rejected his appeal against a 27-year sentence for a botched coup bid. Bolsonaro lost the 2022 elections and was convicted in September for his efforts to prevent Brazlian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking power after the polls. Prosecutors said the scheme — which included plans to assassinate Lula and a top Brazilian Supreme Court judge — failed only due to a lack of support from military top brass. A panel of Supreme Court judges weighing Bolsonaro’s appeal all voted to uphold
RSS