MANILA, Philippines?The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday denied the disqualification petition against reelectionists Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and former senator Sergio dela Rama Osmeña III.

Petitioner Nombraan Pangcoa asked the poll body to bar Santiago from running, saying the feisty senator has an ?insecure, imbecile and unsound mind, with a penchant for lying and paranoia.?

The Comelec first division, chaired by Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, said the petition against Santiago ?lacks merit? because Pangcoa failed to produce evidence to support his claims.

Petitioner Vladimir Tan Cabigao meanwhile asked the poll body to cancel the candidacy of Osmeña III, saying that Section 4 of Article VI of the 1987 Constitution says that ?no senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms.?

Petitioner Vladimir Tan Cabigao said Osmena served as senator from 1995 to 2001 and from 2001 to 2007 so he should only be eligible to run for Senate seat in the 2013 elections.

The Comelec first division however ruled that being out of office for three years since 2007 entitles Osmeña to join the upcoming May elections as the Constitution does not specify if the lull needs to be six years, or for a full term of a senator.

The poll body also junked the petition of Ralph Recto, another senatorial candidate, to disqualify Richard Recto, another senatorial aspirant. The first division dismissed the petition as ?moot and academic? since the Comelec en banc has already canceled the candidacy of Richard Recto in Resolution 8713, which lists the qualified candidates for president, vice president and senator.