Señeres’ brother eyes party nomination as substitute standard bearer

A brother of the late presidetial candidate Roy Señeres has indicated his intention to be their party's substitute standard bearer two weeks after the congressman succumbed to complications from diabetes.

Ramon Ike Señeres has written Attorney Jose Malvar Villegas Jr., the president of the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka-Workers and Peasant Party, to tell him of his qualification to be the substitute presidential candidate.

Ike Señeres, in his letter, also raised with the party's supposed nomination of another member—Attorney Apolonia Suguilon—as its substitute presidential candidate.

The late congressman's brother invoked the Comelec's pronouncements that only a person with same surname may substitute a candidate who dies after the deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy.

"The undersigned is a younger brother of Representative Señeres and in accordance with the announcement of [Commission on Elections] Chairman [Andres] Bautista that whomsoever is nomnated by PMM-WPP as a substitute candidate should have the same surname, the undersigned believed that he has all the qualifications to substitute for his brother," Ike Señeres said in his letter dated February 14.

A copy of the letter obtained by GMA News indicated that it was received by Villegas on Monday.

"Loyal Party members and Party sympathizersd are launching a One Million Signature Campaign for the Party to consider me as soon as the legal issue have been resolved by the Comelec and the Supreme Court that only a person with the same surname can substitute the candidate who dies before the elections," Ike Señeres said.

According to Ike Señeres' letter, he was a press attache at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, bureau chief of the Philippine News Agency also in Washingyon, and a consular assistant at the Consulate General of the Philippines in New York City.

He also listed his various positions in government as an expert in management information systems. -NB, GMA News