Philippines -- After being listed in a number of TV and film credits, several showbiz personalities will soon be among the candidates whose names will be printed on the ballot.
Richard Gomez will run as mayor of Ormoc City
From being a board member of the second district of Batangas, actor Christopher de Leon has decided to run for a congressional seat in the upcoming mid-term elections, representing the same district.
Actor-host Joey Marquez, meanwhile, is gearing up to join the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), the political party of former president and former actor Joseph Estrada.
Marquez is reported to be eyeing a seat in Congress representing Paranaque.
In early August, former Kapamilya actor Aga Muhlach took oath as a member of the President Benigno Aquino III-led Liberal Party (LP). The move came after Muhlach's confirmation to ABS-CBN News that he will be seeking a congressional seat in his family's native Camarines Sur in 2013.
A familiar face to primetime TV viewers -- although not for portraying characters -- former ABS-CBN News correspondent Sol Aragones also recently announced her bid for a seat in Congress to represent the third district of Laguna.
Jolo Revilla will run as vice governor of Cavite
Aragones will run under Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
Another non-actress, Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Chairman Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares, also has frequent presence on television as the face of the media rating agency.
A daughter of the late film icon and former presidential candidate Fernande Poe, Jr., Poe-Llamanzares' name is included in the senatorial line-up of both the LP and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
In Bohol, former comedian Amay Bisaya has also been reported to be running as board member. Another board member aspirant is former comedian Dennis Padilla, who will run in Laguna.
As early as June this year, former action star Philip Salvador announced his vice gubernatorial bid in Bulacan. The veteran actor will run against another former actor, Daniel Fernando, who is currently the vice governor of the province.
Also seeking a post as vice governor, this time in Cavite, is the son of Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., actor Jolo Revilla.
Fresh off his stint as a lead actor in the top-rating series "Walang Hanggan," which will end in October, actor Richard Gomez will prepare for his 2013 bid to become mayor of Ormoc City.
Although their names may be familiar to many Filipinos by way of their being TV personalities, Pulse Asia president Prof. Ronnie Holmes said it is also important that their "name recall" is somehow tied to an experience in politics.
"Definitely the awareness of the candidates is important but even if we say it is important, there are people whose levels of awareness are high but they have not in any way occupied positions in Congress so the association with the institution is also equally important for the other contenders," Holmes said. -- From a report by Mario Dumaual, ABS-CBN News
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