Only 8 Palace bets eligible

Comelec limits official Senate aspirants to 58

By Bernice Camille V.  Bauzon, Manila Times- REPORTER

Out of the 99 individuals who filed their candidacies for president in the 2010 elections, only eight were declared qualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday. The poll body also named those eligible to run for vice president and senator after two weeks of deliberation.

According to Comelec Chairman Jose Melo, those who are qualified to run for president are Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd, Liberal Party; Councilor John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes, Ang Kapatiran; former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino; Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon, Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines; Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Independent; former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., Lakas-Kampi Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD); Jesus Is Lord Movement’s Bro. Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva, Bangon Pilipinas; and Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr., Nacionalista Party.

Melo also named those eligible to run for vice president—Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati City (Metro Manila), PDP-Laban; Dominador Chipeco Jr., Ang Kapatiran; former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando, Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines; Sen. Loren Legarda, Nationalist People’s Coalition; former Optical Media Board Chairman Eduardo “Edu” Manzano, Lakas-Kampi CMD; Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, Liberal Party; Jose “Jay” Sonza, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan; and Perfecto Yasay, Bangon Pilipinas.

A total of 20 contenders had filed their candidacies for vice president.

The Comelec also came up with a list of qualified senatorial candidates.

Out of the 158 who filed their candidacies for senator, 58 were deemed eligible by the commission.

Ten of them were from the Liberal Party—Neric Acosta, Ana Theresia Baraquel, Martin Bautista, Rufino Biazon, Franklin Drilon, Teofisto Guingona 3rd, Alexander Lacson, Yasmin Lao, Ralph Recto and Sonia Roco.

The poll body also approved the candidacies of six filers from the Lakas-Kampi CMD—Silvestre Bello 3rd, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Ramon Guico Jr., Raul Lambino, Rey Langit and Manuel “Lito” Lapid.

The Nacionalista Party’s senatorial slate, as deemed qualified by the Comelec, will be composed of Pia Cayetano, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Ramon Mitra, Susan “Toots” Ople, Ariel Querubin, Gilbert Remulla and Adel Tamano.

The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan’s candidates deemed eligible to run for senator are Shariff Ibrahim Albani, Alma Lood, Regalado Maambong, Ma. Judea Millora, Imelda Papin and Hector Villanueva.

Also, the Comelec allowed the senatorial bids of JV Bautista, Jose “Joey” de Venecia 3rd, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Jose Apolinario Lozada, who all will run under the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino.

Zafrullah Alonto, Kata Inocencio, Ramoncito Ocampo, Reynaldo Princesa, Alex Tinsay and Israel Virgines were also recognized by the poll body as senatorial candidates of Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas party.

The PDP-Laban party, according to the Comelec, will carry Henry Caunan and Gwendolyn Pimentel as its senatorial candidates.

The Nationalist People’s Coalition, whose presumptive standard-bearer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero earlier backed out from the race, will be represented by Rodolfo Plaza and Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd in the race to the Senate.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago will run under her own People’s Reform party.

The senatorial slate of Ang Kapatiran will contain the names of Rizalito David, Jo Aurea Imbong, Zosimo Paredes, Maria Gracia Riñoza-Plaza, Adrian Sison, Reginald Tamayo, Hector Tarrazona and Manuel Valdehuesa Jr.

Those who will be running as independent candidates are Sergio Osmeña 3rd, Jovito Palparan, Liza Maza and Saturnino Ocampo.

It was not clear why Maza and Ocampo would run as independent candidates when also on Tuesday they were adopted by the Nacionalista Party as two of its senatorial candidates.

Former Sen. Francisco Tatad will run as a senatorial candidate of the Grand Alliance for Democracy.

Meanwhile, Comelec chief Melo said that the disqualification cases filed against Aquino, Estrada, Teodoro, Villar and Roxas would be raffled off to the poll body’s two divisions headed by Comelec Commissioners Rene Sarmiento and Nicodemo Ferrer.

“They could be taken off the list . . . but in my estimate, I think they will still stay [on the list] pending decision from the Supreme Court,” he added.

Melo said that the High Tribunal has until early January 2010 to decide on the disqualification cases filed against the five candidates since the printing of the ballots will start by January 7 or January 8.

He added that those deemed ineligible to run could file their verified opposition until December 21.

Melo said that the final list of the qualified candidates from president to senator would come out late next week, as will that of the qualified party-list contenders.

Commissioner Sarmiento explained that the candidates whom the Comelec had declared qualified to join the races for president, vice president and senator proved that they have a viable political party, that they can wage a national campaign and that they would not make a mockery of the elections.

Those who were disqualified, Melo said, were “without resources and losers many times over in past elections.”