Señeres’ political party may support Miriam

MANILA, Philippines – Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka (PMM) will support the presidential bid of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago should the poll body reject the lawyer they are eyeing to replace deceased OFW Party-list Rep. Roy Señeres.

“Most probably, I will sign a coalition agreement with the People’s Reform Party adopting Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago as a common candidate. We chose her because we want, as much as possible, to have a presidential and vice presidential candidate in the same party. (Her running mate) Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. is our vice president,” PMM president Jose Malvar Villegas said.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will decide on Apolonia Comia-Soquilon’s substitution for Señeres on Tuesday.

Declared earlier by the Comelec as a nuisance candidate, Soquilon was chosen by the PMM to substitute for Señeres, who died last week.

The poll body questioned the PMM’s nomination of Soquilon, saying the party could field a substitute for Señeres provided that the substitute is from the same party and has the same last name.  

Under Section 19 of Comelec Resolution 9984, “an official candidate of a duly registered political party or coalition who dies, withdraws or is disqualified for any cause after the last day for the filing of certificate of candidacy may be substituted by a candidate belonging to, and nominated by, the same political party or coalition. The substitute for a candidate who died or is disqualified by final judgment may file a COC up to mid-day of election day provided that the substitute and the substituted have the same surnames.”

In countering the provision, Villegas cited Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code, which provides that “the substitute candidate nominated by the political party where he belongs to may file a certificate of candidacy to replace the candidate who died, withdrew or was disqualified.”

He said Section 77 of the Omnibus Election Code did not clearly state that the substitute should bear the same surname as the substituted candidate.

Villegas also said he would bring the case to the Supreme Court if the Comelec does not approve Soquilon’s substitution.