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THE
Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ruled with
finality that opposition bet Alan Peter Cayetano is a
natural-born Filipino, rendering moot and academic a
second disqualification case filed against him.
In an en
banc resolution signed by the six-member poll body on
Tuesday, the Comelec upheld the decision of its second
division, junking the petition of former Pateros Mayor
Jose Capco that sought to disqualify Cayetano.
“We’ve
finally decided to put an end to the citizenship issue
of Congressman Cayetano affirming the resolution of the
second division, meaning he is a natural-born Filipino,”
chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. announced at a media
briefing.
Abalos
added that a second disqualification case questioning
Cayetano’s citizenship, filed by broadcaster and
columnist Percival Mabasa, is now rendered moot and
academic following the en banc’s decision.
The
Comelec was supposed to hear Mabasa’s case against
Cayetano Wednesday.
In other
developments:
• The
poll body resolved that all ballots containing votes for
Aquino will be counted as the votes of opposition
candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
• The
Comelec received a disqualification case filed against
Erwin Genuino, who is running for a Congress seat in
Makati’s Second District against lawyer Abigail Binay,
daughter of the Makati mayor. Genuino, son of chairman
Ephraim Genuino of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming
Corp., is accused of distributing prohibited campaign
materials such as gift checks, expensive souvenirs, and
the like.
The
elder Genuino earlier came to the defense of his
children Erwin and Anthony, who is running for
councilor, against accusations that they are banking on
his Pagcor post to win the polls. Genuino also strongly
denied Mayor Binay’s allegations he was behind the twin
moves against Binay before last weekend: the BIR
garnishment order on all
Makati
assets; and the administrative suspension issued by the
Office of the Ombudsman, as carried out by the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
On the
Aquino case, Comelec said, “All votes for Aquino should
go to Noynoy.” Abalos added that senatorial candidate
Theodore Aquino failed to prove that he has renounced
his American citizenship when he filed his certificate
of candidacy.
“Ms.
Tessie Aquino-Oreta is Oreta not Aquino as per her
certificate of candidacy. Now as far as Mr. Theodore
Aquino is concerned it appears that his COC was never
given due course,” said Abalos. “If he is not given due
course he is not perceived as a candidate,” explained
Abalos.
He said
the Comelec will come up with guidelines for the Board
of Election Inspectors (BEI) on how they should
appreciate ballots since there are areas with
“problematic names” or candidates with the same surnames
running for the same posts.
Abalos
said this issue will be discussed by the en banc on
Thursday since this will cause problems for the BEI in
the appreciation of ballots.
Meanwhile, the poll chairman noted that the en banc may
resolve by Wednesday the disqualification case filed by
Cayetano against his namesake and Kilusang Bagong
Lipunan (KBL) candidate Joselito Pepito Cayetano.
In his
motion, Cayetano asked the Comelec to junk Joselito’s
motion for reconsideration as it was submitted beyond
the prescription period set by the poll body in serving
an appeal.
Cayetano
also asked the en banc to uphold the First Division’s
ruling declaring Joselito a nuisance candidate. --C. Jimenez |
