Political parties are allowed to accept new members to substitute for candidates they initially fielded, the Commission on Elections said Thursday as the Nov. 15 deadline for candidacy substitution approaches.
While some people might think that a substitute candidate should be an existing or current member of a political party, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said there is "no such rule."
"There's really nothing preventing new members from coming in and substituting for the candidate," he told ANC in an interview.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday withdrew her candidacy for reelection, stirring talks that she would run for a national position as a substitute candidate.
Duterte-Carpio's ally, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, claimed that she might run for president under former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Lakas-CMD party, which she is not a member of.
Duterte-Carpio needs to become a member of a political party if she wants to substitute for its original candidate, Jimenez said.
"She has to be a partymate of the person she's substituting. Anyone else can give her a Certificate of Acceptance and Nomination if they want to, but that's the threshold requirement. She has to be a partymate of the candidate that she's substituting for," he added.
Lakas-CMD fielded a certain Anna Velasco and Lyle Uy for president and vice president respectively. While they have these candidates for now, party secretary general Prospero Pichay said they could still negotiate with stronger contenders that could permanently fill these positions.
PDP-Laban's presidential bet Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa also said he was ready to be substituted by Duterte-Carpio should she decide to run for president.
Salceda said Duterte-Carpio could announce her final plans for the 2022 elections before the deadline for candidate substitution on Nov. 15.
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