LP disowns suspect in car, motorbike smuggling running for gov

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The ruling Liberal Party (LP) has disowned an accused smuggler who had filed his certificate of candidacy for governor claiming he is a member of the LP.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, a ranking LP leader, said in an e-mail to reporters that Lynard Allan Bigcas, who wants to run for governor of Bukidnon, is not and never a member of the LP.

“His declaration that he is an LP candidate in Bukidnon is totally false,” Guingona said.

When he filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) last Tuesday, Bigcas told reporters he is running for governor under the LP.

Lawyer Renato Magbutay, regional election director, said Bigcas’ COC is valid even after the LP disowned him.

Magbutay said while the LP has to recognize Bigcas for Bigcas to officially be a LP candidate, “even without a certificate of official nomination and acceptance from the LP, his candidacy is still considered legitimate.”

Magbutay said the Commission on Elections has not received any petition to declare Bigcas a nuisance candidate.

“We only receive the COCs and somebody has to file a petition at the head office in Manila to declare somebody a nuisance candidate,” Magbutay said.

Magbutay said Bigcas has every right to run for office as he is still not convicted of any crime.

Bigcas first gained nationwide attention after his alleged involvement in the smuggling of luxury cars and motorbikes in May 2011.

Twenty-one high-end motorcycles and four luxury cars, including the controversial $80,000 chopper that supposedly belonged to Hollywood scriptwriter Skip Woods, were seized from Bigcas by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in warehouses in Cagayan de Oro City and in Talakag, Bukidnon, last year.

The NBI filed smuggling and illegal possession of firearms charges against Bigcas at the Regional Trial Court in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. JB R. Deveza, Inquirer Mindanao