Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Sen. Francis Escudero said he was wondering why the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was in an “apparent haste” in deciding the disqualification cases against his running mate Sen. Grace Poe, while the poll body had yet to purge “obviously nuisance” candidates.
“Nagtataka ako bakit nauna pang i-disqualify si Senator Grace kaysa sa mga kandidatong ang pangalan ay ‘Intergalactic,’” Escudero said during the Cauayan City Leadership Summit in Isabela, referring to a presidential aspirant who filed COC for president and tagged himself as space ambassador.
Comelec Chair Andres Bautista previously said the poll body declared 100 out of 125 presidential hopefuls as nuisance, but an official list has yet to be released.
READ: Comelec law unit wants 125 presidential aspirants declared as ‘nuisance’ | Comelec reiterates rules on nuisance candidates
In a 2-1 vote, the Comelec’s 1st division on Tuesday ruled to cancel Poe’s certificate of candidacy (COC), just weeks after the poll body’s 2nd division released a similar decision to disqualify the lady senator from the presidential derby.
READ: Comelec 2nd division disqualifies Grace Poe from 2016 presidential race | Comelec 1st division cancels Grace Poe COC
Escudero maintained that the name of his running mate Sen. Grace Poe should be retained in the 2016 ballot, pending the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc and despite two unfavorable rulings on disqualification issued the poll body’s 1st and 2nd divisions.
Escudero also reiterated his previous statement that only the Supreme Court can rule with finality on the disqualification cases against Poe over legal questions on her citizenship and residency.
“Para sa akin dapat isama ang pangalan ni Senator Grace hanggang hindi nagbibigay ng pinal na desisyon ng Korte Suprema tungkol sa mga petisyon na inihain laban sa kanya,” Escudero said during the Cauayan City Leadership Summit in Isabela.
“Apat na kaso ‘yan at ang desisyon diyan ay aakyat pa sa Comelec en banc at hindi ‘yan magiging final and executory dahil may panahon pa iakyat sa Supreme Court,” he added.
Poe’s camp previously said it would file a motion for reconsideration before the poll body next week, but Escudero said their “only recourse” was to seek relief from the high court should the Comelec en banc uphold the previous rulings.