ER Ejercito to appeal Comelec disqualification ruling

Laguna Governor ER Ejercito, who was disqualified by the Comelec First Division for overspending during the previous election, on Friday said he is set to file a motion for reconsideration to reverse the ruling, even as he expressed hope the poll body's move was not politically motivated.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Ejercito spent over P20 million during his political campaign in the Laguna province according to GMA News TV's News To Go on Friday morning.

Under the law, the report said, a maximum of P3 could be spent per registered voter, and in the case of Laguna, the total allowable campaign spending could have been between P4 to P5 million.

But Ejercito noted that the Comelec's decision is not yet final and executory, and that he is still the governor of the province.

Coming to his cousin's rescue, Senator JV Ejercito tweeted Thursday that the disqualification case has "partisan politics written all over it. Gov. ER won overwhelmingly."

On the other hand, the Comelec said Ejercito's disqualification only shows that the poll body "isn't joking."

"Hindi po kami nagbibiro," Brillantes  said in a statement Thursday, adding that they are "readying several other election offense cases against erring candidates." — Andrei Mendina /LBG/RSJ, GMA News