MANILA, Philippines – The one who put Grace Poe’s presidential bid at risk will be running for president himself.

In a surprise move, Rizalito “Lito” David filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president on Monday, October 12. He went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila with his running mate, Albert Alba.

David was the 21st presidential aspirant to file his COC on Monday. David and Alba will run under the Ang Kapatiran Party, along with a senatorial slate that is set to be finalized this week.

Alba is the party’s secretary general, and a certified public accountant by profession.

David insisted that his presidential bid has nothing to do with election front runner Poe, whose qualifications to run for public office he questioned before the courts.

Instead, David explained that he and his party want to have the teachings of the Catholic faith applied in governance to fight corruption.

“Ang dami naman nating mga Katolikong Kristyano. Bakit hindi natin ina-apply ‘yung teachings ng faith natin doon sa ginagawa natin sa gobyerno?” he asked.

(There are many of us Catholics and Christians. Why don’t we apply the teachings of our faith in what we do in government?)

He added, “Hindi ko sinasabing mga santo kami. Alam namin ang aming mga kasalanan. Pero ang importante dun, alam mo na kasalanan ‘yung ginagawa mo. Para mas maging malinaw kung ano ang patutunguhan ng iyong mga gawain.“

(We are not saying that we are saints. We know our sins. What’s important is, you know what you’re doing is wrong, so that it would clear as to what the consequences of your actions are.)

He also claimed that nobody among the 2016 candidates “would strongly say that they are running because they are faithful to their faith.”

Alba added that their participation in the 2016 polls was a response to Pope Francis’ call when he visited the country earlier this year. “The Pope said, Good Catholics must meddle in politics,” Alba explained.

David, meanwhile, emphasized that they are not “candidates of the Church.”

“We are Catholic lay faithful,” he said, adding that the Catholic faith is the most inclusive of all faiths.

On Poe’s presidential bid

As for Poe, he said she has all the right to run for President.

“I’m not gonna stop her,” he said, adding that the quo warranto case he filed against Poe was related to her right to stay as senator.

David argues that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino citizen, and is thus disqualified to become a senator.

However, when asked about the possibility of him facing Poe in the presidential race, David said, “I am confident na hindi siya makakatakbo.”

“In the end, the courts will decide that she is not a natural-born [citizen],” he said.

David ran for senator in the 2013 midterm elections under the Ang Kapatiran Party, but lost. Poe topped that year’s senatorial race.

Poe is scheduled to file her COC for president later this week. – Rappler.com

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