Lito O reinstated as Senatorial bet

CEBU, Philippines - He had the reason to be optimistic after all.

Former Cebu Governor Emilio Mario “Lito” Osmeña was reinstated as senatorial candidate through Commission on Elections Resolution No. 8743.

The Comelec yesterday announced it has added four senatorial candidates and two for president in the current list.

In Resolution 8743, it approved the candidacy of senatorial hopefuls Nanette Espinosa of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, Adz Nikabulin of Bangon Pilipinas Party, detained general Danilo Lim and Osmeña.

Environmentalist Jesus Nicanor Perlas and financial consultant Vetellano Acosta are now included in the list of presidential aspirants.

The other day, Osmeña told the media that he was confident that Comelec will reverse its decision declaring him a nuisance candidate because he said, “I have always been confident that I will be a candidate. I was permitted to run as a president before, how much more this time?”

Osmeña was earlier stricken off the list because Comelec said he has no capability to wage a national campaign.

But his lawyers appealed using the argument that he was able to qualify before so what makes this year’s election different to the 1998 elections.

He ran for President and lost in 1998 and now he returns as a candidate for senator because he believes that Cebuanos must have a Cebuano-speaking representative in the Senate.

Osmeña earlier said that should the Comelec indeed reverse its decision, he is more than ready for the campaign as he has already started preparations even after Comelec initially disqualified him.

Osmeña said that he intends to empower every Filipino and alleviate them into the middle class. “I don’t want to hear anymore about poverty. I will also make sure that all GSIS (Government Service Insurance System) and SSS (Social Security System) members’ contribution will benefit only the members.” –Jessica Ann R. Pareja- Padilla/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)