Many Nuisance candidates for the presidency? Blame Grace Poe-Llamanzares

People are asking me why the unusual rise in numbers of people filing their CoCs for president. From the freakish to the qualified, thirty seven individuals have already intimated their desire to serve their country "as president." Some say, they were called upon by heaven, while one was called by Satan to throw his hat unto the presidential ring. This is the first time that the list of presidentiables went this long.

Many believe that this is a sign that many people are so desperate that they think that they need to count themselves in the service of the Nation. Is our condition so deplorable that ordinary citizens are "rising up", so to speak, to express their willingness to "serve the country." Or, as what Ted Failon put in, probably many people have skipped a meal or two more often than before.

Of course, many of these people who have filed probably lost their marbles. Some maybe want nothing more than see themselves in television. I don't know what happened to the likes of Syjuco or Sabio or even Rizalito David. These are sensible people, yet they filed candidacies for the presidency.

Comelec chairman Andy Bautista and the rest of the Commissioners have a tough task before them. The Constitution lays down the requisites for those who want to run for president, and the requisites are simple. Some Supreme Court cases, however, gave the poll body some "discretions" like the capability to launch a national campaign (meaning, do they have monies to spend), and the network to back them up during their campaign. These things are outside the contemplation of the Constitution.

Now, here is the thing---will the Comelec disqualify the multi-millionaire Syjuco who filed his bid for the presidency and allow Grace Poe-Llamanzares to run? Syjuco has proven himself capable of launching an electoral campaign, having won at least twice a seat in Congress. He is a legitimate businessman. Will the Comelec declare him a nuisance candidate?

Compared to Poe-Llamanzares, Syjuco has experience in politics and is a natural-born Filipino.

How about David who is being backed by members of the Kapatiran Party? The Kapatiran Party has proven in two elections that they are capable of launching a nation-wide campaign. Don't tell me that they will declare David as a nuisance candidate?

For me, the long list of presidentiables just proves that they are many people out there who, like Grace Poe-Llamanzares, have similar desires to serve the people, yet are not qualified to run.

Yes, being able to read and write, and being way past forty five are not enough. Yet, in determining who is a nuisance or a serious candidate, will the Comelec use the popularity wild card as another condition?

If they do, then, why declare Atty. Pamatong, for example, as a nuisance? Every single Filipino knows that name. He is popular. Don't tell me that Poe-Llamanzares is more qualified than Pamatong?

This is the problem. Nabilog kasi masyado ang ulo nitong si Grace Poe-Llamanzares that she thinks based only on her popularity, she can turn things around all by her lonesome.

There are two things going against Poe-Llamanzares--questions about her being a natural-born Filipino citizen and lack of residency status.

This is the very reason why she is again, another nuisance who will try to make a mockery of our laws just to satiate her ego. Enuf said.