Theodore Aquino is disqualified to run for Senate, says Abalos

Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos said Tuesday that Theodore “Kuya Ted" Aquino is disqualified from participating in the upcoming mid-term elections as a candidate for the Senate. Interviewed on GMA 7’s Unang Hirit program, Abalos said Aquino admitted in his certificate of candidacy that he did not have a residence in the Philippines. “On the face of the COC, he is disqualified,," Abalos told news anchor Arnold Clavio. Aquino, a successful engineer in San Francisco where he has been residing for about 40 years, is a nephew of slain opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy" Aquino Jr. He said he is running on a platform to reverse the brain drain, and claims to represent the interests of the 12 million Filipinos overseas. Using the alias Kuya Ted, Aquino is actually the first dual citizen to run for a seat in the Senate as an independent candidate in the May 14 elections. Three-term Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, a Liberal Party candidate for the Senate under the Genuine Opposition ticket, asked the Comelec last Sautrday to declare Theodore, his distant cousin, as a nuisance candidate. Noynoy, in his four-page petition, asked the poll body to nullify Theodore's certificate of candidacy because evidence from the Bureau of Immigration prove that the latter has not yet continuously lived in the country for two years. According to Nonoy, it was Theodore himself, a dual citizen, who admitted that he lived in the United States for 40 years and that he just wanted to run for the Senate to test the effectivity of the Dual Citizenship Law. It was also stated in Nonoy's petition that Theodore was not endorsed by any political party and does not have the capacity to conduct an electoral campaign. Florencio “Butch" Abad, former congressman of Batanes and past president of the Liberal Party, said that while Noynoy recognizes the right of his distant cousin Theodore to seek public office, this privilege ought to be exercised responsibly without ruining the good chances of others to win. Abad is Noynoy’s campaign manager. Both Noynoy and Abad told GMANews.TV that the declaration of Abalos on the disqualification of Theodore Aquino has yet to be formalized in a resolution approved by the Comelec en banc. Abad said Noynoy’s lawyers have received a notice from Comelec scheduling the disqualification petition for hearing. Abalos said the Comelec started cleaning up the list of candidates involving overseas voters considering that overseas voting will commence on April 14. Theodore Aquino was among the first Filipino Americans to be sworn in as dual citizens after Republic Act 9225, or the Philippine Dual Citizenship Law, took effect in September 2003. The dual citizenship law restored Philippine citizenship of natural-born Filipinos who have acquired foreign citizenship through naturalization, and permitted them to run for public office for as long as they meet the other basic requirements under the Constitution and the Omnibus Election law. In a statement he issued when he filed his certificate of candidacy, Theodore said: “There are 12 million of us (global Filipinos) who are ready to help." “We are ready to help. In fact we have already been helping transform the country," he said, citing the billions of dollars of remittances from overseas Filipinos that have kept the Philippine economy afloat. “What we are asking for now is that we are adequately and proportionately represented in the Philippine legislature," Theodore said. On his platform to reverse the brain drain, Theodore said: “The only way to reverse the brain drain, to minimize our roaming the world in search of a better life for us and our families, is to help make the Philippines the land of opportunity that can provide the basic needs of our people. If given the mandate by our people, I will devote my time to this." Theodore is currently the president of the UP Alumni Association of America (UPAAA) and a key mover of the Global Filipino Forum and Global Filipinos Coalition. He served as president of several FilAm organizations in the U.S. such as the FilAm Society of Architects and Engineers (Fasae), Most Holy Rosary Church FilAm Club in Antioch, California, San Jose Maharlika Lions Club in San Jose, California (also known as the Silicon Valley) and UP Alumni Association of San Francisco. Constitutionalist Jose Abueva escorted Theodore to the Commission on Elections in Intramuros, Manila on Jan 15, the first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy for the senatorial and party-list elections. Theodore was among the “early birds" who filed their certificates of candidacy at the Comelec offices in Intramuros, Manila. He found himself in the company of known Marcos loyalists Oliver Lozano and Melchor Chavez, and unknown candidates Daniel Magtira and Rummel Pinera. Magtira even claimed to be the husband of popular actress and television host Kris Aquino, the younger daughter of Ninoy. Magtira said he was a composer and a rock singer and that he got the endorsement of Ilocos Norte Rep. Imee Marcos and TV host Boy Abunda, a close friend of Kris. Magtira was also among the early filers for the 2001 senatorial election. - GMANews.TV