Lawmaker declines party-list nomination

MANILA, Philippines - Rep. Teodorico Haresco said yesterday he is declining his nomination to the Ang Kasangga party-list.

In a statement, Haresco also commended the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for its efforts to cleanse the party-list system in the country even as he maintained that Ang Kasangga has been true to its mandate of promoting and helping micro and small entrepreneurs in the past several years.

“I am declining my nomination from Ang Kasangga sa Kaunlaran to preserve and protect the group that I have founded many years ago from intrigues created by some people to wage character assassination against me for reasons still unknown to me,” Haresco said.

“Our party-list group does not engage in politicking, and we remain focused on our commitment to micro-entrepreneurs, who are among the first casualties in natural or man-made disasters, and political quarrels,” he said.

The lawmaker said he would instead file his certificate of candidacy as representative of the lone district of Aklan. He said local officials, including Gov. Carlito Marquez and 14 mayors, have signed a manifesto asking him to run as representative of the district.

Reports said a non-government organization has sought the Ang Kasangga’s deletion from the list of accredited party-list groups in the Comelec because Haresco is a millionaire but representing micro-entrepreneurs.

Haresco said his being a millionaire should not be an issue since “whoever I am now is the product of years of hard work and dedication in school, in my professional life, and the love of my parents, and most of all, blessings from our Lord.”

He urged the Comelec to look into the accomplishments of Ang Kasangga and scrutinize the motives of those calling for its delisting.