9 BETS REMAINING: COMELEC DISQUALIFIES
KBL STANDARD BEARER ACOSTA
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - KBL standard-bearer Vetellano Acosta]
MANILA, MARCH 5, 2010 (STAR) By Sheila Crisostomo - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday disqualified Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) standard-bearer Vetellano Acosta from the May 10 presidential race.
In an eight-page resolution, the Comelec backtracked on its earlier ruling by canceling Acosta’s certificate of candidacy (COC) and granting the petition of Liberal Party presidential bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to disqualify the KBL candidate.
With Acosta out of contention, this leaves nine candidates slugging it out for the presidency in the May 10 elections.
“The unfolding of events and the actions of Acosta during the hearings convinced us now that to allow him to run would be of no good to the country as his candidacy only puts the electoral process in mockery,” the Comelec stated.
Acosta filed his COC as an independent but was later declared a nuisance candidate by the Comelec. The poll body, however, reconsidered its decision and included Acosta in the list of presidential candidates after he was adopted by the KBL as its standard-bearer.
Aquino then called for Acosta’s disqualification which would dislodge him from the top in the alphabetical listing of presidential bets in the ballots. Comelec dismissed Aquino’s petition as flimsy and without basis.
But recent developments forced the Comelec to allow the petition of Aquino, more on the issue that “a mere nomination of a candidate by a registered political party does not automatically exclude him from being categorized as a nuisance candidate.”
“More so when the vice-presidential candidate of such party, his supposed running mate, has repeatedly expressed that he is not supporting the standard of such party,” Comelec said, referring to KBL vice-presidential candidate Jay Sonza.
The Comelec noted that even Acosta admitted in several media interviews that he was not aware of Sonza as his running mate or familiar with the KBL’s senatorial lineup.
Acosta could not be found even as the campaign period kicked off last Feb. 9, much to the chagrin of Sonza and KBL leaders who had “adopted” him as presidential candidate.
In one rare interview with the media, Acosta claimed he was busy with his work as international financial consultant and barely had time for presidential debates.
“Finally, this Commission finds bizarre petitioner Acosta’s actuation during the hearings... Instead of trying to become more popular in the campaign period... he has chosen to ignore the importance of the proceedings by scarcely appearing in the Commission, giving excuses such as ‘having to attend some urgent matters’ in connection with his candidacy,” the Comelec said.
The poll body added that if Acosta “had the mind to make the most out of these proceedings against him, (he) would have availed of every opportunity to speak out.”
“He cannot just simply say that he is leaving his fate to God and to the people. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can claim the same,” the Comelec resolution stated.
Public ridicule
KBL chairman Vicente Millora said they would abide by the Comelec ruling but will leave it up to Acosta to appeal his case before the Supreme Court.
“The disqualification of Acosta is his own doing. His actuations, his media interviews and his feud with Jay Sonza, has strengthened the disqualification case against him,” Millora said.
Millora said Acosta has made the KBL the object of public ridicule.
Acosta could not be reached for comment but during interviews the other day, he claimed to have changed his ways and promised to go full blast in the campaign.
Acosta is supposed to attend a KBL proclamation rally in Ternate, Cavite.
Sonza, for his part, said he had already asked the Comelec to disqualify Acosta for allegedly misrepresenting himself as a registered voter.
Sonza said Acosta misled the Comelec by claiming to be a registered voter in Precinct No. 6 in Tejeron, Sta. Ana, Manila but there were no records to prove this.
“In fact, there is no voter by that name in the whole of the sixth district of Manila,” Sonza told a news forum before the Comelec made the ruling.
Sonza added Acosta has not campaigned even once since the campaign period started Feb. 9.
Sonza said he has brought his complaints against Acosta to the attention of Millora.
“Mr. Millora has promised that he would write the Comelec to withdraw the party’s nomination of Mr. Acosta,” he said.
Sonza said if the Comelec disqualifies his presidential candidate now, it could still scrap his name from the list of candidates on official ballots that are still to be printed.
“Voters would just be confused on May 10 if his name is still there,” he pointed out.
The LP welcomed the Comelec ruling but urged the poll body to rule on Aquino’s petition to strike out Acosta’s name from the official ballot.
LP campaign manager Florencio Abad urged to Comelec to make sure that Acosta’s name is not included in the printing plate of the official ballots.
“We filed our petition early and this ruling might no longer have an effect on the ballots that were already printed. So we hope that Acosta will be delisted in the remaining ballots that they have yet to see print,” Abad said.
The LP filed a disqualification case against Acosta, whose name is printed on the official and sample ballots ahead of Aquino.
LP leaders said that without Acosta, Aquino’s name would be first in the listing of presidential candidates on the ballot and would thus be noticed first by voters.
Sample ballots made available by Comelec officials to congressmen last Tuesday showed that the names of all presidential aspirants are printed in four columns.
On top of the first column is Acosta’s name, followed by Aquino. Conspicuously all alone in the fourth column at the far right-hand side of the ballot is Villar, whose name would have been listed last in the third column had Acosta been disqualified before the ballots were printed.
Abad said there is no more reason to put the name of Villar by its lonesome in one column since Acosta was stricken from the list. With Aurea Calica, Perseus Echeminada, Jess Diaz