Palace hands off on Barbers-Biazon tiff

Malacañang will not step in to arbitrate the contest between re-electionist Senators Rodolfo Biazon and Robert Barbers for the 12th and last spot in the May 10 senatorial elections.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Ricardo Saludo said yesterday that while President Arroyo led the administration’s Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4) slate during the elections, she would not interfere in the dispute between her two senatorial candidates.

In his press briefing at the Palace yesterday, Saludo replied with a terse "no" when asked if the President would try to mediate between Biazon and Barbers. The case has been elevated to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"It should be in the hands of the Comelec to make the decision," Saludo pointed out.

He explained that Mrs. Arroyo was merely being consistent in her stand to leave such electoral protests to be filed and deliberated upon before the proper forum, either at the Comelec or at the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

Through his lawyers, Barbers sought to nullify the Comelec proclamation of Biazon on the grounds that the results could still be altered by the special elections being held in some parts of the country where elections were suspended last May 10.

Biazon was proclaimed by the Comelec last June 2 as the winner of the 12th and last slot in the Senate after he posted a total of 10,635,270 votes against Barbers’ 10,624,585, or a margin of only 10,685 votes in the final tally.

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra said that special elections in several municipalities in Mindanao are underway and the results are expected to be known before June 30.

"We expect the results of the special elections be known before June 30 so that the 12th senator can assume office on time," Borra told reporters in an interview.

He added that the poll body is also scheduling a hearing on Barbers’ petition questioning Biazon’s proclamation as the 12th winner in the senatorial race.

According to Borra, the Comelec will summon Biazon to answer charges filed by Barbers that his proclamation was "illegal, premature and anomalous" since there are still some 29,000 votes that are yet to be counted and which could change the election results.

But at the moment, Borra said the proclamation of Biazon stands. — with Mayen Jaymalin