The vice mayor who just lost his wife in a massacre blamed on his political rivals filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Friday for governor of the province where the mass killing took place on Monday.
Vice Mayor Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu of Maguindanao’s Buluan town was personally escorted to the office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Shariff Aguak town by Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, the standard-bearer of Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) in the 2010 elections.

Teodoro had flown to Mindanao, purposely to accompany Mangudadatu in filing his candidacy for Maguindanao governor.

Others running

In Manila, three other high-profile politicians also filed their candidacy on Friday.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and retired Gen. Danilo Lim, who will both run for the Senate in the 2010 national elections, filed their candidacy at the headquarters of the Comelec in Intramuros, Manila.
Santiago, who will be running under the People’s Reform Party, which she founded, said that she was invited by almost all political parties in the country except by the Liberal Party.

“I have accepted the slot of guest candidate for all political parties . . . this is my way of sending my message that I’m willing to serve, that I no longer wish to be president myself, but whoever the people will choose to be president will have my support and service,” the 64-year-old senator said.

Among those who had invited Santiago as guest candidate were Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats, Nacionalista Party, United Opposition, National People’s Coalition and Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino.
Danilo Lim said that he would join the senatorial race in next year’s polls because he was committed to ensuring that the country have honest government officials who will push for democratic reforms and good governance.

Lim, who would be running as an independent despite being adopted by the Liberal Party, added that he is committed to fighting corruption.

“My military career being behind me, now this is my alter arena. It’s the continuation of the same advocacies, same struggle for nationalism, reforms and good governance in another arena,” he said.
Lim served the Armed Forces of the Philippines for more than 36 years, but would effectively be out of the military service after his filing of his candidacy.

In filing his candidacy, former national-police chief Avelino Razon Jr. formalized his Manila mayoralty bid.
Before filing, Razon had attended a protest that was billed by his supporters as a “show of force.”

SAMMY MARTIN, BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON AND RUBEN MANAHAN 4TH