Pamatong, Perlas disqualified

MANILA, Philippines - Out of the 99 presidential aspirants who have filed certificates of candidacy (COC), only eight are qualified to run in the 2010 polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said yesterday.

In a resolution, the Comelec disqualified Oliver Lozano, environmentalist Nicanor Perlas and lawyer Ely Pamatong, among others.

Pamatong had repeatedly sought to run for president but has always been rejected.

“The certificates of candidacy were deliberated upon to determine the sufficiency thereof, taking into consideration the study/recommendation of the Law Department,” the resolution said.

The eight presidential candidates qualified to run are the Liberal Party’s Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III; Ang Kapatiran’s John Carlos de los Reyes; Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino’s Joseph Estrada; Bagumbayan Party’s Richard Gordon; independent Jamby Madrigal; Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s Gilbert Teodoro; Bangon Pilipinas’s Eddie Villanueva, and Nacionalista Party’s Manuel Villar.

Comelec chairman Jose Melo said the COCs of Estrada, Villar, Aquino, Teodoro and Roxas were given due course pending the disqualification cases lodged against them.

“Their names can still be taken off the list if we rule on their disqualification case,” he noted.

A total of 20 individuals have filed COCs to run for vice president but the Comelec has eased 12 of them out.

Given the go-signal to run for vice-president are PDP-Laban’s Jejomar Binay, Ang Kapatiran’s Dominador Chipeco; Bagumbayan’s Bayani Fernando; Nationalist People’s Coalition’s Loren Legarda; Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s Eduardo Manzano; LP’s Mar Roxas; Kilusang Bagong Lipunan’s Jay Sonza, and Bangon Pilipinas’s Perfecto Yasay.

Of the 158 senatorial aspirants, only 58 will remain on the list.

They are LP’s Nereus Acosta, Risa Hontiveros, Martin Bautista, Rozzano Rufino Biazon, Franklin Drilon, Teofisto Guingona III, Alexander Lacson, Yasmin Lao, Ralph Recto and Sonia Roco; Lakas-CMD-Kampi’s Silvestre Bello III, Bong Revilla Jr., Ramon Guico Jr., Raul Lambino, Rey Langit and Lito Lapid.

Others are NP’s Pia Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Ramon Mitra, Susan Ople, Ariel Querubin, Gilbert Remulla and Adel Tamano; NPC’s Rodolfo Plaza and Vicente Sotto III; Ang Kapatiran’s Rizalito David, Jo Imbong, Zosimo Paredes, Maria Gracia Riñoza-Plazo, Adrian Sison, Reginald Tamayo, Hector Tarrazona and Manuel Valdehuesa; Bangon Pilipinas’ Zafrullah Alonto, Kata Inocencio, Ramoncito Ocampo, Reynaldo Princesa, Alexander Tinsay and Israel Virgines;

PMP’s JV Bautista, Joey de Venecia III, Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Jose Apolinario Lozada, PDP-Laban’s Henry Caunan and Gwendolyn Pimentel; People’s Reform Party’s Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Grand Alliance for Democracy’s Francisco Tatad;

Kilusang Bagong Lipunan’s Shariff Albani, Alma Lood, Regalado Maambong, Maria Judea Millora, Imelda Papin and Hector Villanueva; and independent bets Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Sergio Osmeña III, and Jovito Palparan.

Melo said that those who were disqualified have five days to file an appeal before the Comelec and eventually the Supreme Court.

The poll body wants to speed up the screening of candidates since the printing of ballots would begin on Jan. 7 or 8, 2010.