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63 Senate bets get Comelec’s go signal

January 27, 2019 | 12:00am

63 Senate bets get Comelecâ��s go signal

Re-electionist Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and former senator Sergio Osmeña III are among the 63 candidates allowed to run for senator on May 13 even if they have pending election issues.

MANILA, Philippines — Out of the more than 200 individuals who had registered to run for senator in the coming midterm polls, 63 have been allowed to try their luck come May 13, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

The certified list of candidates actually has 76 names, but Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said 13 of them would be “stricken off the list, should a certificate of finality be issued.”

There were 50 senatorial candidates in the 2016 elections.

Jimenez also said 134 party-list organizations have registered to run in the May 13 polls.

The 13 senatorial aspirants poised to be delisted are Albert Alba, Ernesto Ansula, Hussayin Arpa, Rizalito David, Angelo de Alban, Alexander Encarnacion, Geremy Geroy, William Iliw Iliw, Josefa Javelona, Norman Marquez, Rolando Merano, Frank Naval and Eric Negapatan.

Re-electionist Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and former senator Sergio Osmeña III are among the 63 given the go signal to run on May 13 even if they have pending election issues.

Pimentel is facing disqualification cases filed by lawyer Ferdinand Topacio and former congressman Glenn Chong questioning his eligibility to run, citing the two-term limit rule.

The petitioners argued that if Pimentel was allowed to run in the coming polls, he would be violating a provision in the Constitution limiting senators’ terms of office to only two.

In the 2007 polls, Pimentel ran for senator but lost to Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Topacio and Chong claimed that Pimentel had already served his first term when he took over the unfinished term of Zubiri, whose 2007 poll? victory was invalidated by the Senate Electoral Tribunal, acting on Pimentel’s plea.

His second term, according to the petitioners, began with his reelection in 2013.

In an interview over radio dwIZ yesterday, Pimentel said the Senate and House oversight committees will hear from Comelec officials on Feb. 5 their explanation of what he called delays in resolving disqualification cases as well as in the printing of ballots.

“The Comelec is always saying there is a timetable. But if we look closely, the delay is too long. The disqualification cases should have been resolved by December,” he said in Filipino.

He added the Comelec also failed in its commitment to start the printing of ballots by Jan. 22.

In Osmeña’s case, the Comelec earlier disqualified him motu proprio for failing to file his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) twice – in the 2013 and 2016 senatorial races.

Osmeña petitioned for reconsideration, claiming he submitted his 2013 SOCE, although belatedly.

If a disqualified candidate’s name is already printed in the ballots, votes cast for him or her shall be considered stray votes, based on Comelec rules.

Jimenez, meanwhile, said the 134 groups on the Comelec list are the “last remaining names of partylist organizations that have filed Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the 2019 National and Local Elections.

In the 2016 polls, 115 party-list groups were allowed to run.

While the current list is not yet final, the groups’ assigned numbers on the ballots are already final.

Old and new names

Among the first-time Senate aspirants are Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary Alejano (Liberal Party), IT expert Toti Casino (Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino), former congressman Glenn Chong (Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino), labor leader Leody de Guzman (Partido Lakas ng Masa), former police chief Ronald dela Rosa (PDP-Laban), human rights lawyer Jose “Chel” Diokno (Liberal Party), lawyer Larry Gadon, former presidential assistant Christopher “Bong” Go (PDP-Laban), and women’s rights advocate Samira Gutoc.

The others are former solicitor general Florin “Pilo” Hilbay (Aksyon Demokratido), election lawyer Romulo Macalintal (independent), Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Dong Mangudadatu (PDP-Laban), former broadcast journalist Jiggy Manicad (independent), Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos (Nacionalista Party), former Manila councilor Dan Roleda (United Nationalist Alliance), labor leader Sonny Matula (Labor Party Philippines), physician Willie Ong (Lakas-CMD), former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, former congressman Lorenzo “Erin” Tanada (Liberal Party) and former Education undersecretary Butch Valdez (Katipunan ng Demokratikong Pilipino).

After losing their previous Senate bid, former interior and local government chief Raffy Alunan (Bagumbayan Volunteers for New Philippines), presidential adviser on political affairs Francis Tolentino and former Bayan Muna partylist congressman Neri Colmenares (Makabayang Koalisyon ng Mamamayan) will give it another try on May 13.

Aside from Osmeña (independent), the others who would attempt a Senate comeback are Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. (Lakas-CMD), Pia Cayetano (Nacionalista Party), Juan Ponce Enrile (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Mar Roxas (Liberal Party), Jinggoy Estrada (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) and Lito Lapid (Nationalist People’s Coalition).

Re-electionists – aside from Pimentel (PDP-Laban) – are Sonny Angara (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino), Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (Liberal Party), Nancy Binay (United Nationalist Alliance), JV Ejercito Estrada (Nationalist People’s Coalition), Grace Poe (independent) and Cynthia Villar (Nacionalista Party).

Mandatory debates

Meanwhile, Pimentel has filed a bill calling for mandatory electoral debates to give aspiring candidates the chance to share their platforms of government.

Senate Bill No. 2147 seeks to institutionalize the holding of electoral debates by amending Section 7.3 of Republic Act 9006, also known as the Fair Election Act, which states that the Comelec may require national television and radio networks to sponsor at least three national debates among presidential candidates and at least one national debate among vice presidential candidates.

“While the Fair Election Act included a provision on the holding of electoral debates, the same was merely permissive. This bill seeks to institutionalize the holding of electoral debates by amending the Fair Election Act to make this important activity mandatory,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said Comelec’s holding at least three national debates among presidential candidates and at least one national debate among vice-presidential candidates should be scheduled on three different days within the campaign period.

Each debate, Pimentel said, shall include a discussion of the candidates’ program of government and their stand on the most pressing issues affecting their respective constituencies.

“Among the declaration of principles in the Fair Election Act is for the State to guarantee or ensure equal opportunity for public service, pursuant to the Constitution,” he said.

The measure also prohibits television and radio networks airing the debates from selling airtime for commercials and advertisements. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Sheila Crisostomo