Poe’s accuser Rizalito David declared ‘nuisance’ candidate

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has shot down the dream of Rizalito David to become the successor of President Benigno Aquino III after he was declared a nuisance candidate on Wednesday.

In a six-page resolution issued by the Comelec Second Division, the poll body ruled in favor of the motu propio petition to cancel David’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.

“Accordingly, Rizalito David is hereby declared a nuisance candidate and his certificate of candidacy for president for the May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections is hereby cancelled,” the dispositive portion of the resolution read.

The Comelec’s Second Division is led by presiding commissioner Al Parreno with commissioners Arthur Lim and Sheriff Abas.

David, a losing senatorial bet in 2013, was the first person who filed disqualification cases against Senator Grace Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) and the Comelec over her allegedly questionable citizenship and her failure to satisfy the 10 -year residency requirement.

The SET, in a vote of 5-4, has junked David’s petition to unseat Poe from her post, claiming that the lady senator is not a natural-born Filipino.

The SET has since finalized its decision as it did not grant David’s motion for reconsideration.

On Tuesday, David asked the Supreme Court to review the final decision of the SET which upheld Poe’s natural-born citizenship.

David’s lawyer, Manuelito Luna, said that the senators committed “grave abuse of jurisdiction” when they voted for Poe.