Comelec to start weeding out 'nuisance candidates'

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will start weeding out "nuisance candidates" among the prospective senatorial bets who filed their certificates of candidacy (COC) last week, Comelec chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. said on Monday. "As to the immediate, we're calling on all the senatorial candidates who filed whom we think there is a question as to their legitimacy," Brillantes said. 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." Brillantes noted that he would not want to call some "nuisance candidates" just yet, since the law requires due process. "'Yan siguro gusto na naming itabi ng konti pero we don’t want to make a conclusion yet. Because the law requires na may due process muna," Brillantes said. He, however, said in jest that "the media saw how [some] filed their COC”: “Meron umaangkin ng Pilipinas. Merong nagpakasal kay Kris Aquino." The Comelec chairman was referring to interesting personalities like Daniel Magtira, who indicated in his COC that he is married to media personality Kris Aquino, and Salam Lacan Luisong Tagean, who claimed to own the entire Philippines, who filed COCs for the 2013 polls. Brillantes said they would grill the senatorial candidates in a formal hearing, adding that this could take two weeks to finish. "I just issued an order already calling on them to appear before us." "Tatanungin namin sila isa isa. Ano bang plano mo sa Pilipinas? Ibebenta niyo na ba ang Pilipinas dahil may titulo kayo?" the commissioner said in jest, obviously referring to Tagean. Brillantes added that they have also started receiving petitions for disqualification of certificates of candidacy, though did not identify who have done so. Eighty-four individuals filed their senatorial bids for the 2013 midterm elections last week. The Comelec is expected to release the final list of official candidates in December. The campaign period for senators will commence in February. — BM, GMA News