MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Is Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte a billionaire? Is Senator Grace Poe truly a natural-born citizen? Did Vice President Jejomar Binay receive kickbacks from the overpriced Makati City parking structure? Did Mar Roxas consistently lie about so-called accomplishments of Daang Matuwid? Is Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago really now cancer-free?

Is there one presidential candidate that could really be trusted and is telling the truth?

The Kapisanan Ng Mga Matatalinong Mamboboto (KMMM), a nationwide grassroots organization composed of undecided Filipino voters, has issued a challenge to all 5 candidates: Undergo a lie-detector test.

The KMMM said that the test will clear the air once and for all on who among the candidates deserve to be the country’s next president.

As the May 9 elections draw nearer and nearer, candidates have been hurling accusations and counter-accusations against each other in the hope of courting votes.  “The electorate is so confused,” KMMM said.

But in a rare show of unity, all 5 candidates rejected the call for a lie-detector test.

In a joint statement, the candidates said that a lie-detector test wouldn’t change the minds of their respective followers and supporters.

True.  But it would at least show who is a liar, or who has been lying the most.

The Adobo Chronicles urges all 5 candidates to reconsider.

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the constitutional body that oversees Philippine elections, made a stunning announcement today.  It ruled that whoever wins in the May 9 elections will not be the duly-elected president of the Philippines.

COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista said that even if one of the 5 presidential candidates wins 100 percent of the votes, which is impossible, he or she will not have the true mandate of the Filipino people.

Bautista explained that only 54.4 Million Filipinos are registered to vote in this year’s elections, and that is just a little over 50 percent of the country’s total population of 102.4 Million. 

“In a very unlikely scenario that one candidate gets 48 Million votes, that would not be enough to constitute a majority of the Filipino people,” Bautista explained.

In issuing its ruling, the COMELEC urged 100 percent of all registered voters to vote for one and the same candidate so that the winner gets a true majority.

Asked by The Adobo Chronicles what the solution would be if no one gets 100 percent of the votes on May 9, Bautista said the COMELEC will not have any choice but to declare the elections null and void and schedule a repeat election.  He also urged that if this happens, a nationwide campaign for increased voter registration should immediately be undertaken.