They're Baaack

Not that they ever went away.

80 year old Imelda Marcos is running for Congress in Ilocos Norte, the Marcos province, in the May 2010 elections.

Her daughter, Imee, is running for Governor, a position that her brother, Bong Bong had before he became a Congressman. Bong Bong is now running for the Senate. Imee used to be a Congresswoman. She is now running against her cousin. Following all that? The usual political dynasty musical chairs.

Meanwhile, President Gloria, who's term is ending, is now going to run for Congress. Some say that she's doing this to avoid prosecution for her crimes while in office. No doubt she'll win in her riding (although generally she is hugely unpopular elsewhere, thought to be completely corrupt) as she has travelled to her riding many many times in the past year dispensing cash, scholarships and public works projects to her constituents.

Another former President, Joseph "Erap" Estrada, who was forced out of office in the early part of this decade for graft and corruption, was convicted and spent 7 years under house arrest before being pardoned by the current President, is also once again running for the Presidency.

In a lesser office, a former mayor of a town in Aklan, Fred Arsenio is running again, trying to regain the office he had held in 2004 but failed to finish the term. The reason he failed to finish it is he apparently murdered a local journalist, a radio broadcaster and went into hiding for a year and a half after the arrest warrant was issued. He surrendered last year and has been in custody ever since. He is far from the only politician in Philippine election history to have conducted his campaign from jail.

President Gloria by http://caricaturesbynadz.wordpress.com/