MANILA – The total number of those desiring to become the country’s highest official swelled to 99, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Tuesday.

Comelec records showed it has accepted 99 candidacies for president, 20 for vice president and 158 for senators since the agency started accepting certificates of candidacies (COCs) last November 20.

On Tuesday, Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro and running mate actor-TV host Edu Manzano beat the filing deadline.

Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines bets Senator Richard Gordon and running mate Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando also filed their COC on the same day.

Senator Maria Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal and former broadcaster Jay Sonza also filed their candidacy for president and vice president, respectively. Madrigal and Sonza are running as independent candidates.

Among those who filed their COCs on Monday were former presidential tandem Joseph Estrada and Jejomar Binay, along with their senatorial candidates; and Senators Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda under Nacionalista Party.

The tandem of Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel “Mar” Roxas II of the Liberal Party (LP) filed their certificates of candidacy last Saturday.

Others who have filed their COC for president were lawyers Oliver Lozano and Ely Pamatong.

Meanwhile, Comelec Law Department chief Ferdinand Rafanan said starting December 2, the agency will accept petitions to declare nuisance candidate or declare to cancel the COC filed by those who are running for president, vice president and senator.

Rafanan said that it will be the Commission en banc that would decide or declare if the candidate is nuisance.

A candidate is qualified to run any national position if he or she is a natural born Filipino citizen, a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years, at least 40 years old, and be able to read and write.

Among the reasons why the Comelec declared an aspirant a nuisance candidate are: if the candidate only joined the race to create confusion by having the same names, if the individual is not really serious in running for not having resources to finance a nationwide campaign, among others.

In the 2004 national and local elections, the Comelec accepted 89 candidacies for president but only five candidates made it to the official list. For the vice-presidential position, 25 candidacies were accepted but only four were considered valid.

In the senatorial race, 133 have filed their COCs, but only 45 were included in the official list. (ABC/Sunnex)