MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) As militant lawmakers heaped criticisms anew on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s congressional bid, her allies in the House of Representatives came to her defense, saying it was up to her to pursue her political plans.

Arroyo on Tuesday morning formalized her run for a congressional seat in the second district of her home province Pampanga when she filed her certificate of candidacy in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in San Fernando City.

She was accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and eldest son, Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, the incumbent congressman of the second district.

“After listening to her speech, I realized there is one word to describe President Arroyo: megalomaniac,” said Bayan Muna party list Representative Teodoro Casiño.

In his text message, Casiño described a megalomaniac as “a person obsessed with her own power, a person who has delusions about her own power and importance.”

“The nerve!” said another party list lawmaker, Rafael Mariano, of Anakpawis.

“After nine years of plunder, lies, deceit, extreme poverty and hunger, extrajudicial killings, abduction, torture, and worst forms of human rights violations, Ms Arroyo still has the nerve to run for public office and continue with her criminal deeds,” Mariano said.

Mariano called on the Kampampangan not to vote for Arroyo.

“We call on all democracy-loving Filipino people and Kapampangans to frustrate Ms Arroyo’s latest political maneuver,” he said.

Akbayan party list Representative Risa Hontiveros said the Comelec should exercise its powers to reject Arroyo’s candidacy.

“Under Section 68 (a) of the Omnibus Election Code, any candidate found guilty by a court or by the Comelec of having ‘given money or other material consideration to influence, induce, or corrupt the voters or public officials performing electoral functions’. This means that the ‘Hello Garci’ controversy should be enough to disqualify Arroyo, and the Comelec on its own can initiate the disqualification process,” Hontiveros said.

She added that Arroyo’s participation in the 2010 election would “mock the electoral process.”

Arroyo’s allies in the House welcomed her decision.

Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco, Arroyo’s latest appointee as the country’s Ambassador to Italy, said critics should stop imputing motives on the President’s congressional bid.

“President Arroyo prefers to stay in public life because she wants to continue serving the people, that’s all there is to it,” he said.

Representative Rodolfo Albano of Isabela and Jeci Lapus of Tarlac, both members of the administration party Lakas-Kampi said nothing bars Arroyo from seeking any post other than the presidency.