The 2022 elections are near, with filing for Certificates of Candidacy (CoC) started earlier on Friday, October 1, though it is surprising to see that many celebrities are joining politics.
Celebrities and personalities such as Claudine Barretto, Arci Muñoz, Ejay Falcon, Nash Aguas, Jason Abalos, Javi Benitez, and Doland Castro all filed their certificates. They started their campaigns in hopes of winning a government seat.
Barretto, Muñoz, and Aguas hope to become Olongapo, Cainta, and Cavite City councilors, respectively.
Falcon is running for Vice Governor of Oriental Mindoro, while Abalos seeks to become a board member of Nueva Ecija.
Castro, a former ABS-CBN journalist, retired from becoming a politician in Quezon City’s first district.
Benitez, the son of billionaire Albee Benitez is running for the mayoral position in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, there were talks about actor Arjo Atayde running for a position in Quezon City under Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Is the Philippine entertainment industry in shambles?
The pandemic affected many industries, including entertainment. The ever-changing restrictions and lockdowns caused many problems in the production of shows and movies. Most of the celebrities seeking a government post are from the Kapamilya Network who went off-air in 2020.
ABS-CBN continues to struggle to go into its second year of being shut down. Limited shows mean limited jobs for artists and production staff.
However, the Network is trying to return to its former glory by partnering with other TV stations such as A2Z, TV5, and Prime Media Holdings (PRIM).
Esteemed talk show host, Boy Abunda, was also encouraged to run for a senatorial seat, though he declined. But Tito Boy, who is actively supporting the Ang Probinsyano party list, is not closing his doors on the possibility of entering politics.
“With humility, ako naman ay nagsabi sa kanila na hindi naman ako handa. Hindi sarado ang aking pintuan. Hindi sarado sa pulitika… Ayoko rin gastusin ang aking hard-earned money para sa pangangampanya,” he said during a PhilStar interview.
Tito Boy then advised his fellow celebrities to study given that those artists who run for office are being judged prematurely by the masses regarding their intent in serving the public and their ability to actually live as a simple public servant rather than a high-profile persona.
“Mag-aral ka. Short courses like public ad (administration). Mayroon mga short courses online… for as long as your heart is in the right place, marami nyan ay natututunan.
“If people will continue to diminish the capabilities of movie stars, we will continue to elect many movie stars who are not qualified as many of them are qualified.”
