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Jennifer Aniston for PH president, Mariah Carey for VP? Comelec's sample ballots for mock elections amuse netizens

By  NICK GARCIA
Published Dec 29, 2021 3:39 pm
In preparation for the May 2022 polls, the Commission on Elections on Dec. 29 conducted a mock election at an elementary school in Western Bicutan in Taguig City. (KJ Rosales / The Philippine Star)

What if Jennifer Aniston doesn't want to be a purse or a hat but the 17th president of the Republic of the Philippines? Would the Filipinos all want Mariah Carey for Christmas as their vice president?

Filipino netizens are having a field day on Dec. 29, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) held its nationwide mock polls using sample ballots featuring household names in the entertainment and music industry abroad.

Comelec's sample ballot for the mock elections. Photo from the Twitter account of Tina Panganiban-Perez (@tinapperez) of GMA News.

Tweets of Tina Panganiban-Perez of GMA News showed personalities like Aniston, Angelina Jolie, and Brad Pitt "running" for the presidency.

Among the would-be vice presidential candidates were Carey, Stephen Curry, and Harry Styles.

For the supposed senatorial race, notable names included Billie Eilish, Tobey "Spider-Man" Maguire, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift, and Emma Watson.

Comelec's sample ballot for the mock elections. Photo from the Twitter account of Tina Panganiban-Perez (@tinapperez) of GMA News.

As for party-list groups, choices ranged from bands like U2, BTS, and Spice Girls to animated shows like "Peter Pan," "The Jungle Book," and "Coco Melon," to something as curious as "Partidang Partido," "Eklavoo Party," and "Laban ng Drogadik."

The sample ballots didn't bear the names of actual candidates in the 2022 polls.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the mock elections were held in 34 voting centers across Metro Manila, as well as in Isabela, Albay, Negros Oriental, Davao Del Sur, Leyte, and Maguindanao.

Health protocols have been strictly implemented, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the threat of the Omicron variant.

Jimenez was resigned to the fact that the dry run wouldn't be perfect, especially that Filipinos, he said, are not really excited during the election proper "historically speaking."

Instead, he emphasized that it's an opportunity for the poll body to "see precisely where the problem areas are” leading to election day.

Here are the reactions of some netizens who went gaga over the sample ballots as they quote-tweeted Jauhn Villaruel's updates for ABS-CBN News:

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TAGS: comelec 2022elections

About the author

NICK GARCIA

Nick writes about politics, law, health, entertainment, and pop culture, among others. Outside work, he's a wannabe musician and cook. Email him at [email protected].