5 more senatorial bets get Comelec nod

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported yesterday that five more senatorial aspirants would be allowed to run in the 2013 polls, raising to 32 the number of senatorial candidates.

“We’ve already approved 27 earlier and there will be five more. That’s 32 out of the 84 (who filed their certificates of candidacy),” said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes.

Brillantes said three of the five bets belong to the Democratic Party of the Philippines, the newest political party that the Comelec had accredited.

The senatorial bets now include Greco Antonious Beda Belgica, Baldomero Falcone and Christian Señeres, son of former ambassador Roy Seneres.

The Comelec had earlier given due course to the certificates of candidacy (COCs) filed by 27 senatorial candidates.

They are: Juan Edgardo Angara (Laban); Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Maria Ana Consuelo Madrigal, and Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (Liberal Party); Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Cynthia Villar (Nacionalista Party) and Risa Hontiveros (Akbayan); who are all running under the Malacañang-backed LP coalition.

From the United Nationalist Alliance are: Maria Lourdes Binay, Margarita Cojuangco, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Ernesto Maceda, Maria Milagros Esperanza Magsaysay, and Juan Miguel Zubiri (UNA); and Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. of Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC).

The two parties have three common candidates, namely: re-electionist Senators Loren Legarda (NPC) and Francis Joseph Escudero (independent), and Maria Grace Llamanzares.

Sen. Aquilino Martin Pimentel III, on the other hand, is seeking re-election under PDP-Laban.

The Comelec has also declared as qualified to run Ang Kapatiran’s John Carlos de los Reyes, Marwil Llasos, and Rizalito David; Makabayan’s Teodoro Casiño; and independent bets Edward Hagedorn, and Ramon Montao.