After filing cases vs Poe, David wants Duterte disqualified

MANILA, Philippines — After a slew of petitions against Sen. Grace Poe, political aspirant Rizalito David on Monday filed a petition before the Commission on Elections to drop Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's bid for the presidency.

In the petition, David opposed Duterte's substitution for Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan's former standard-bearer Martin Diño, saying the presidential aspirantis making a mockery of the rules of law by filing his candidacy outside the given period.

"It is respectfully prayed of the Honorable Commission to grant due course to this petition and to declare the substitution of Martin Diño by Rodrigo Duterte for President as null and void, as well order the cancelation of his [Duterte] certificate of candidacy for not having been validly seasonably filed," David's petition read.

The petitioner argued the Comelec can use as evidence Duterte's errant and late submission of his certificate of candidacy.

"Since the Commission is in possession of the certificates of candidacy filed by Duterte and Dino, the petitioner earnestly pleads that it take judicial notice of the same for purposes of this petition," David's petition stated.

"I cannot play deaf and blind to these circumventions, otherwise the integrity of the Commission will be put into question," he added.

David, a defeated senatorial candidate in the 2013 elections, was recently declared a nuisance candidate for presidency. Earlier this year, he filed a disqualification case against Poe, then a frontrunner in presidential preference surveys, before the Senate Electoral Tribunal to question her citizenship.

On December 17, the Comelec accepted Duterte's presidential candidacy without prejudice to other disqualification cases filed against him.