Disqualified bet getting more votes than Jamby

MANILA, Philippines - Disqualified Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) standard-bearer Vetellano Acosta got more votes than presidential aspirants Sen. Jamby Madrigal, John Carlos de los Reyes and Nicanor Perlas, according to partial unofficial results.

The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) partial unofficial tally released at 6:15 a.m. yesterday showed that Acosta had 139,746 votes, more than Perlas with 42,205 votes, Madrigal’s 37, 119 votes and De los Reyes who got 34,833 votes.

Last March the Comelec disqualified Acosta from the presidential race for lack of qualifications.

Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer earlier said Acosta was disqualified “on the basis that he cannot conduct a nationwide campaign because as it turns out, he is not from the KBL as he earlier claimed.”

The KBL is a political party founded by the late President Ferdinand Marcos during the height of martial law in 1978.

Ferrer said what made the poll results more interesting was the fact that Acosta had not appeared in any political debate and had no political advertisements.

He said, however, that since the resolution disqualifying Acosta came after the Comelec started printing the ballots for the May 10 elections, Acosta’s name remained on the ballot but the votes cast for him would not count.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said the votes Acosta obtained most likely came from supporters of KBL.

“KBL is a party that has a base. As a matter of fact, they were able to fill a complete slate,” Sarmiento said. “There is still support for the party.”