TikToker Eli San Fernando, known for his “no-holds-barred political commentary,” is the first nominee of Kamanggagawa party-list. Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Eli San Fernando, a self-styled political commentator popular on TikTok, gave an impassioned speech Tuesday on how his party-list Kamanggagawa plans to "reclaim" the representation system "bastardized" by elites. 

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His speech, delivered within the 2-minute limit set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), was punchy and packed with populist rhetoric sure to appeal to many Filipinos fed up by dynastic politics.

"Di pa ba tayo sawa sa klase ng politikang meron tayo ngayon? Magkakapatid, mag-aama, mag-iina, pami-pamilya ang namumuno sa atin, mga partylist na pinamumunuan ng mga oligarko," said San Fernando, whose TikTok account has over 820,000 followers and 12 million likes.

(Aren't we all tired of the politics that we have been accustomed to? Party-lists are dominated by families, oligarchs.)

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"Paano natin aasahan na magkakaroon ng makabuluhan, maayos na mga batas at polisiya kung yung mga namumuno sa atin ay hindi naman danas yung buhay ng isang ordinaryong Piilpino," he added.

(How do we expect them to make meaningful laws for us when they don't even experience our hardships?)

If he gets a House seat, his main agenda would be to scrap the provincial rate applied to regional workers, which is lower supposedly to promote investment outside Metro Manila and because of the supposedly lower cost of living in the provinces.

Marc Gamboa of YouTube vlog Models of Manila TV says he wants to represent content creators, live sellers, and freelancers in the Senate. Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN NewsAnother content creator who wants to secure a national position next year is YouTuber Marc Gamboa.

Gamboa filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator, with the aim to represent "netizens" such as content creators, vloggers, and live sellers.

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"Gusto po natin baguhin yung politika sa Pilipinas, dahil marami sa ating mga kababayan ang nafu-frustrate na sa klase ng politika na meron tayo. Yung mga politiko po... marami sinungaling, ninanakawan tayo," he said.

(We want to change the politics of the Philippines because so many of us are frustrated at the kind og politics we have now. These politicians... many of them are liars. They are stealing from us)

One of his planned programs if he gets elected is to provide content creators with capital to help them grow their businesses.

He also wants to set up a “fake news monitoring office” that would operate 24/7 “para merong masumbungan ang nga tao (so people can have somewhere to report these).”

Asked what his other platform issues are, he said these can be found on his YouTube channel Models of Manila TV, which boasts over 230,000 subscribers.

Content creator Norris John Okamoto, who has over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, seeks a House seat through LINGAP or Liga ng Nagkakaisang Mahihirap party-list. Jauhn Etienne Villaruel, ABS-CBN News

Meanwhile, vlogger Norris John Okamoto is seeking a House seat through his Liga ng Nagkakaisang Mahihirap or Lingap party-list.

"Ang aking adhikain ay tulungan ang ating kababayan dahil isa ako sa nakakita, nakaramdam sa mga taong kailangan ng tulong... Pagtulong po talaga ang aking content so I will not stop hanggang aking makakaya," said Okamoto, whose YouTube channel has 315,000 subscribers.

(My advocacy is to help our fellow Filipinos because I am one of those who has seen and empathizes with those who need help. My content is about helping so I will not stop as long as I can keep doing it)

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Asked to specify what legislation he would advocate if elected House member, Okamoto said he would be "fighting for the justice system for the poor."

San Fernando, Gamboa, and Okamoto were just some of the few content creators who filed their candidacies Tuesday in a bid to translate their online popularity into actual votes.

After the first day of the filing of COC, Comelec chairman George Garcia announced that a total of 17 filed COCs for senator and 15 party-lists filed their Certificates of Nomination and Acceptance.

The filing of candidacies will run until Oct. 8.

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