IGINIIT ni Senador Grace Poe na dapat nang i-ban ang substitution sa halalan kung sakaling mag-withdraw ng kanyang kandidatura ang isang kandidato.
Sa Senate Bill No. 2439 na isinumite ni Poe kasama ang apat pang senador na sina Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva at Senate Majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, isinusulong ang pag-amyenda sa Omnibus Election Code para tanggalin ang “withdrawal” bilang isa sa mga pinapayagang dahilan para sa substitution.
Ayon sa mga senador, masyado na umanong naabuso ang probisyon na ito sa ilalim ng Election Code.
“It has been abused over the years, where vigilance and compliance over deadlines have been disregarded as the option of substitution has always been available,” ayon sa bill.
“This unfortunate practice of just fielding anyone to be a party’s candidate for the sake of complying with the Comelec (Commission on Election) deadline is observed by some as a mockery of the process of filing certificates of candidacies,” dagdag pa ng mga senador.
“This bill seeks to modify the grounds for substitution by removing the option of substitution in a case where an aspirant or official candidate of a political party voluntarily withdraws his candidacy, and adding incapacity as a ground for substitution of candidates,” anila.
