Thread by @cnnphilippines

In this country, not everything really goes according to plan... and politics is, as usual, one of them.

It's #PoliticsAsUsual with our chief correspondent and anchor @piahontiveros.

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Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas on amending provision on substitution: That is a statement under the law na pwede ang substitution. Ang rationale very good however minsan nagiging strategy ng mga kandidato

Comelec chairman Abas: If ever may magwithdraw, mabibigyan na oras na pwedeng magwithdraw

Comelec chairman Abas: Nakakalungkot na nagiging strategy na rin siya ng mga kandidato but sa 'kin naman wala naman problema 'yun dahil hindi naman magmamatter on the candidacy of the candidate, depende sa kandidato 'yan

Comelec chairman Abas: Sa ibang aspect, strategy talaga, ayaw nila malaman kung sino tatakbo pero sa kabilang banda, pwedeng sabihing abuse. Sa 'kin hindi naman magmamatter if that would be negative kasi nasa kandidato 'yun

Comelec chairman Abas: Sa Philippine politics, uso 'yung batuhan ng hindi maganda, depende sa kandidato kung magiging strategy na ayaw munang magpakilala para hindi siya mabatikos for many days or months

Abas on removing substitution since its prone to abuse: That would be the call of Congress, the Senate and the House. You have to remember kandidato rin sila. Ang bottom line, this is a law and this is allowed. Until hindi ma-amend, allowed siya, wala tayong magawa doon

Asked on what process must Sara Duterte go through if she wants to run for president, Abas says: Kailangan magwiwithdraw siya sa pagfile ng mayor and then afterwards she has to substitute kay Bato if that would be the case. May panibagong CONA from PDP (1/2)

Asked on what process must Sara Duterte go through if she wants to run for president, Abas says: Withdrawal then substitution, but it must be done on or before Nov. 15 because if afterwards, wala na (2/2)

If ever Sara Duterte chooses to run for vice president in tandem with Bong Bong Marcos, Abas says: Under the rules, dapat magsusubstitute sa isang taong may partido. Hindi siya pwede magsubstitute sa independent candidate

Abas on avoiding outages during the elections: Inavoid na namin 'yun, meron na kaming ginawang hakbang. Actually parang na-choke 'yung connection with the media pero walang pagkakaiba sa resulta. Ginawa namin maluwang 'yung passage ng info papunta sa lahat ng server ng Comelec

Comelec chairman Abas: This is the first time we will conduct an election during a pandemic so ang priority namin paano maging safe yung botohan this coming May

Comelec chairman Abas: Doon sa hours ng voting, titingnan namin yung turnout ng mga tao. If napakarami yung pila at tingin namin lalagpas yung timeline, if there is a need to extend it then we will extend

Comelec chairman Abas on who might his replacement be: To be honest wala akong idea kung sino ipapalit sa akin. Sa aking experience kung sino yung matunog, hindi totoo.

Abas is set to leave the Comelec three months before the election along with two other commissioners.

Abas on leaving Comelec before the national polls: Dapat Feb. 2 makaappoint at least ng isa para makaquorum but I think the Office of the President knows this very well

Comelec chairman Abas on his future replacement: Ang importante dito yung integrity ng papasok because this is an independent commission and you have to balance all interests, dapat hindi ka biased sa lahat ng mga kandidato sa eleksyon

Manila mayor and pres'l aspirant Isko Moreno on why he chose to run for president now instead of waiting for another 6 years: There are so many challenges in our country now, if we can duplicate what we've done in Manila in the entire country, then we'll be happy to be of service

Moreno on using the term 'yellowtard' and clashing with VP Leni Robredo's supporters: Dapat hindi sila affected. I have moved on. If they are offended, I am no angel but definitely I'm not the devil (1/2)

Moreno on clashing with VP Leni Robredo's supporters: I'm just trying to stress some points and that was so many days ago and we try to concentrate on the issues at hand (2/2)

Will you exact accountability for example on extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs or the excesses of Ferdinand Marcos?

Moreno: Yes, I made the commitment under the rule of law. Ayaw ko yung paghihiganti lamang. Anyway, nabigyan sila ng pagkakataon noong araw (1/2)

Moreno: Whatever they have not done yet, I'll just pursue it if there is liability, that includes a former president or a family that benefited from it (2/2)

Moreno: Whoever, especially 'yung nag-abuso sa pandemya and the EJK that's why I made a statement about the ICC investigation. I'll welcome it. I'll open the government to anybody, that includes international community

Moreno on exacting accountability: Hindi 'yung capricho kasi 'yung nakakalungkot 30 years na 'yung away ng away nila, hindi na umuunlad ang Pilipinas (1/2)

Moreno on exacting accountability: I just want the people to live in the present and work together to create a better future but we will never forget what happened in the past, we will learn from their mistakes and adapt on those things that are successful and duplicable (2/2)

Moreno on being called a "Duterte candidate": No. I am a president of a party and a I run after my party

Q: Pakawala ka ba?

Moreno: No. That's a no. I am a president of a party and I run after my party

Moreno on several party members jumping ship: We're growing. We grew by a thousand percent as a party. Aksyon Demokratiko chairman and members of the execom were very happy. Baka sakali baka kami pa ang maging dominant minority

Moreno on whom will he choose to be Health chief if he wins the presidency: Bibigyan ko ng laya si Willie Ong kasi gusto ko siya maging secretary ng kalusugan bilang vice president pero sabi niya tutulong siya sa'kin pero tutulong rin siya makapamili na mapupusuan niyang magaling

Moreno on the possibility of uniting with VP Robredo, Ping Lacson and Manny Pacquiao: If we are going to unite on the issues at hand then I'm willing, but if we're going to unite just to win, because they wanted to win, medyo 'di ako masyadong ano doon eh