By Cameron Read
The Philippines will hold its national elections on 9 May. Aside from the presidency and vice presidency, contested posts include 12 senate seats, 300 lower house seats and some 18,000 local positions across the country. Winners will be serving for three years, except for the president, vice president and senators, who will in post for six years.
A key election issue on the agenda is the revival of the Philippine economy which was one of the fastest-growing in the world in the last decade until the pandemic which triggered massive job losses for hundreds of thousands of people.
Below we look into the profiles of the 10 candidates who are running to become the next president of the Philippines. We also present their responses to the question posed to them during the CNN Presidential Debates held on 27 February.
The question was: If you become the 17th president of the Philippines, how soon would Filipinos feel the impact of your leadership?
Ernesto “Ernie” Abella
Aged 72, Abella is a businessman, writer and pastor, who also served briefly as President Duterte’s spokesperson. Abella is running as an independent candidate, whose aim is to give better access to food and healthcare services to children and elderly citizens.
Abella is also looking to promote the participation of ordinary citizens and small
entrepreneurs in governance.
Priority if elected: Within three to six months, he will encourage civil society to participate in governance because Local Government Code mandates that 25% of those who participate in governance should come from them.
Leody De Guzman
Activist and labour leader De Guzman is running under the coalition Laban ng Masa. The 62-year-old vows to undertake a major reform of the country’s political system, in turn strengthening the economy and stimulating social development.
Elsewhere focus will be placed on increasing taxes for billionaires, as well as regulating minimum wage and removing contractualization. Additionally, he intends to halve the size of the national police and military as well the enforcers of the current administration’s war on drugs.
Priority if elected: He will put an end to contractualisation and close all manpower agencies. He will also increase the minimum wage to P750. De Guzman added that he would fund local farmers, and even triple the budget, so they would be encouraged to produce more.
Norberto Gonzalez
Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista Pilipinas candidate Norberto Gonzalez, 74, has undertaken a plethora of roles in his multifaceted career, ranging from activism to peace talk negotiation, from being a defence secretary to presidential chief of staff.
Gonzalez is a surprise candidate for the 2022 elections. His campaign centres around his framing of issues surrounding food security and Covid-19 as issues of national security. He intends to reform the agricultural sector to advance food production and raise farmers’ income.
Priority if elected: He would push for charter change to move the country into a parliamentary system in his first 100 days in office.
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
Another independent candidate, 73-year-old Lacson has been a part of legislative and executive arms of government for over 40 years. As a lawmaker, Lacson approved laws such as the Reproductive Health Act of 2011 and the contentious Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
After a failed presidential bid in 2004, Lacson intends to gain public trust back in the government by pushing forward the Covid-19 pandemic response and removing corruption from the government.
Priority if elected: In his first 100 days, he will sign a waiver of his rights of the Bank Secrecy Act which provides that all deposits of whatever nature in banks in the Philippines and investments in government bonds are absolutely confidential in nature. He will cleanse government of corruption and discipline employees.
Faisal Mangondato
A businessman, Mangondato, 56, is representing the Katipunan Ng Kamalayang Kayumanggi party. He has been vocal about his confidence in President Duerte’s backing in this next election.
Mangondato had an unsuccessful bid for regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2016.
Priority if elected: He would appoint only qualified professionals with civil service eligibility in key government positions.
Bongbong Marcos
Son and namesake of the former dictator, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., 64, served as a senator between 2011 and 2016 before failing in a bid for higher office in 2016 to Vice President Leni Robredo.
President Marcos and his cronies plundered an estimated $10bn from public funds before they were ousted in a peaceful revolution in 1986. Marcos Jr. was previously convicted of tax evasion which was the basis of disqualification cases filed against him.
Like others, Marcos wants to prioritize the country’s response to Covid-19, while also continuing the controversial war on drugs campaign, with an additional prevention, education and rehabilitation focus.
Priority if elected: Marcos did not attend the CNN debate.
Jose Montemayor Jose Jr
Montemayor Jr., 60, boasts a medical, legal and economic expertise in what will be his first presidential bid. He has been vocal in his disagreement with same-sex unions, abortion, divorce and the death penalty.
Again, like others, Montemayor has focused on issues of Covid-19, corruption within the government and support for the war on drugs. His 10-point agenda covers other areas including reducing poverty, achieving economic growth and accomplishing full employment.
Priority if elected: He will reduce unemployment from 9 million to 3.4 million pre-pandemic levels. He said that Filipinos would feel the impact of his economic recovery efforts in his first year in office.
Isko Moreno Domagoso
Incumbent mayor of the City of Manila, Moreno formerly served as the Vice Mayor of Manila between 2007 and 2016. His focus is on improving the school facilities and public health, as well as offering low-priced housing for the poor.
A candidate for the Aksyon Demokratiko party, Moreno, 47, has been likened to former president Rodrigo Duterte. This is due to him wanting to replicate his local projects on a national scale.
Priority if elected: Similar to other candidates, Moreno said he would prioritise improving the livelihood of Filipinos.
Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao
A man who needs no introduction to Filipinos and the wider world, Pacquiao, 43, was famous for being an elite level boxer while also juggling a career as a public official until his retirement from boxing in 2021.
Now serving as part of the Abag Promdi, “Pacman” is campaigning to eliminate the country of corruption, criminal activity and poverty, although no concrete proposals have been brought forward at this present time. A born-again Christian, Pacquiao wants religious leaders from evangelical groups to form his Cabinet and anti-corruption task force.
Priority if elected: He would put up a mega prison in his first three months in office, saying he wants to see corrupt government officials in jail. Another priority is providing livelihood to Filipinos by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises.
Leni Robredo
Serving as the 14th vice president of the Philippines, 56-year-old Leni Robredo has been recognised by the government for her pandemic response programs that spanned the country. She also boasts the highest audit rating from the Commission on Audit between 2018 and 2020.
Her campaign centres around a large scale anti-poverty response which will be coordinated through support from multiple advocacy areas: food security, nutrition, healthcare, public education, rural development, housing, resettlement and women empowerment.
Her Angat Buhay Program has reached over 622,000 families across 223 cities.
Priority if elected: She will require all government offices and instrumentalities to make public all their public transactions. Among other priorities, Robredo will also do the following: appoint civil servants who have good track record and expertise, provide jobs and quality education, and improve basic health services.
To compare how candidates stand on particular issues, visit e-Boto, an independent voter education platform supported by Pinas Forward and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).
For more information on the election and how to vote, visit VotePilipinas and Transparencygov.
About the author
Cameron is a third year multimedia journalism student at Bournemouth University. He is interested in music and sports, and enjoys conversing with people.
