Bello files disqualification case vs another Bello

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III became the first candidate to file a disqualification case against a fellow senatorial aspirant of the same age and surname. In his petition, Bello called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare Fred Naim Bello as a nuisance candidate. According to Comelec Resolution No. 8678, a nuisance candidate is one who “put(s) the election process in mockery or disrepute," “cause(s) confusion among the voters by the similarity of names of registered candidates," or one who “has no bona fide intention to run for the office."

The Cabinet secretary said in his petition that Fred Bello “has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which he has filed his COC and (has) no capacity to launch a nationwide campaign and lacked logistical means and machinery to pursue a serious political campaign." He said the candidacy of Fred Bello would only cause "confusion" among voters and will "prevent the determination of the true will of the electorate." Fred Bello is a retired teacher from Bacoor, Cavite. According to his COC, he will be running under the Philippine Green Republican Party. He filed his COC last November 28 while Silvestre Bello filed his COC late Tuesday, the last day for the filing, which ran from November 20 to December 1. The Cabinet secretary, who is running under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD banner, said he try to will end insurgency in the country through peaceful means if he is elected into the Senate. Silvestre Bello III served as secretary of the Department of Justice from 1990 to 1992 and from January 1998 to June 1998; solicitor general from 1996 to 1998; chairman of the government panel talking with communist rebels from 2001 to 2004; and presidential adviser on new government centers from 2007 to present. Nuisance candidates Comelec Law Department head Ferdinand Rafanan said that it would be up to the commission to decide when to release the names of those deemed as nuisance candidates. Poll body spokesman James Jimenez earlier said that during the last elections, the poll body held a hearing where they gave aspirants a chance to defend why they should not be regarded as nuisance candidates. The Comelec said those who oppose the candidacy of a person have until Sunday to submit a verified position, but added that it may also tackle the cases “motu propio" or on its own. The filing of COCs for the 2010 polls drew about 99 presidential, 20 vice presidential, and 158 senatorial hopefuls – of which only 25 percent are supposedly serious, said the poll body. The Comelec said the official list of candidates for the 2010 elections will be released probably by the end of December. A total of 17, 888 government seats are up for grabs in the 2010 elections. There is one slot for president and vice president each; 12 for senators; 222 for Lower House representatives; 80 for governors and vice governors; 762 for provincial board members; 120 for city mayors and vice mayors; 1,514 for municipal mayors and vice mayors; 1,346 for city councilors; and 12,116 for municipal councilors. A total of 68,000 candidates ran in the May 2004 elections while some 46,000 aspirants filed their COCs in the 2007 local elections. - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV