Comelec can supervise LP elections - SC

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Commission on Elections can supervise the election of new officers of the Liberal Party, which has split into two factions, thus rejecting the petition of the camp led by opposition Senator Franklin Drilon questioning the poll body’s authority. The high court also remanded the case on the LP leadership dispute back to the Comelec. The LP faction led by Manila Mayor Jose “Lito" Atienza, a staunch ally of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, hailed the Supreme Court ruling. “We consider this a victory for us. We never questioned the authority of Comelec to decide on the leadership dispute of the Party, even when it was Drilon who brought it first to the Comelec and then to the Supreme Court when the poll body’s decision was not to his liking," Atienza said. The LP split into two factions in March last year when Atienza claimed to have wrested the party's leadership in elections on March 2006 that were not attended by Drilon and most of his allies. Atienza asserted that Drilon’s leadership ended on July 2005 when the senator and other party leaders called for Mrs Arroyo’s resignation, supposedly without consulting the LP’s executive committee. Drilon refused to recognize the party elections called by Atienza, maintaining he still led the party, and asked the Comelec to rule on the dispute. The Comelec recognized Drilon’s leadership of the LP but ordered new party elections on November 2006 that the poll body would supervise. Drilon’s camp questioned the Comelec’s decision – saying doing so was intervening in the party's affairs – before the Supreme Court, which issued a temporary restraining order on November. The Drilon-led LP has joined the Genuine Opposition (GO) coalition. For the May elections, the party has fielded two senatorial candidates – Senator Francis “Kiko" Pangilinan, who is seeking a fresh six-year term running as an independent, and Tarlac Representative Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, son of former President Corazon “Cory" Aquino. -GMANews.TV