THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is likely to delete the name of Party-list Rep. Roy Señeres of OFW Family Club from the ballot for the May elections after announcing on Friday that he is withdrawing from the presidential race.
Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista said the poll body would accept the Statement of Cancellation-Withdrawal from Señeres once the documents, including the medical certificate, are submitted later this week.
“Ako naman, kung talagang gusto na niyang mag-withdraw hindi naman namin siya pipigilan kung kaya’t ako kung nandoon iyong kanyang anak at abogado at siya ay may karamdaman dapat siguro tanggapin na lang namin. Iyon ang plano,” Bautista said in a news briefing after the walkthrough of the mock-up setup of polling precincts at the Pura V. Kalaw Elementary School, Project 4, Quezon City.
He added, “Kung magwi-withdraw then definitely we will accept the withdrawal.”
On Friday lawyer Candelaria Rivas and Señeres’s daughter Hannah went to the Comelec Law Department and attempted to file the Statement of Cancellation-Withdrawal, but the poll body did not accept it since it has to be filed personally by the candidate.
The lawyer also read the letter of Señeres, announcing that he is withdrawing from the forthcoming elections owing to health reasons.
Sections 18 and 19 of Comelec Resolution 9984 strictly requires personal filing of withdrawals of certificate of candidacy.
Meanwhile, the Comelec is scheduled to start the printing of the ballots to be used in the May 9 elections on February 8.
However, Bautista said the event on Monday will be a dry run since the poll body wants a clean list of ballots once the printing starts.