Comelec awaiting Seneres' medical certificate to formalize poll withdrawal

 

The Commission on Elections is waiting for OFW Family party-list Rep. Roy Señeres to submit a medical certificate among other documents before his withdrawal from the presidential elections in May gets formally approved.

 

Nonetheless, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said Señeres' name would likely be dropped from the list of candidates for president. His name would also be not included in the official ballots which the Comelec plans to start printing on Monday.

 

Señeres, a former diplomat who gained prominence for helping save distressed maid Sarah Balabagan from death row in the United Arab Emirates in the mid-1990s, was one of the handful of presidential aspirants whose certificate of candidacy was approved by the Comelec.

 

He was endorsed by the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka and was running on the platform of scrapping anti-labor policies and laws such as the contractualization of workers and improving the welfare of overseas Filipino workers. He was the fourth person to declare his intention to run for president after Vice President Jejomar Binay, Manuel Roxas II and Sen. Grace Poe.

 

Señeres withdrew his candidacy last Friday for health reasons. He claims to be suffering from diabetes.

 

Señeres, 68 was the country’s former envoy to the United Arab Emirates and chairman of the National Labor Relations Commission during the Estrada administration, is the 4th to declare a presidential run.

 

In an interview in October, Señeres said, “Suntok ba sa buwan? Determinado tayo dito [Is it like reaching for the moon? I’m determined to do this] I am more qualified and experienced than most of those who have declared their candidacy. I’m confident that the millions of OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] and their families will support our cause.”

 

Señeres then said a manifesto passed by OFW Forse (Friends of Roy Señeres Everywhere), ATAKK (Alisin ang Tanikala ng Kontraktwalisasyon at Kurapsyon) and Respect our Security of Employment Movement convinced him to run for President. — APG, GMA News