Comelec bares initial list of bets

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday released the initial list of national and local candidates for the May 9 elections.

“The list is subject to the outcome of the various cases and issues pending before the Commission,” the poll body said.

The initial list is subject to verification and editing as the outcome of the cases and pending issues could still trim the number of candidates, it said.

The Comelec said the list was uploaded on its website (www.comelec.gov.ph) to allow candidates to check their names as they would appear on the official ballot.

Out of the 130 who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for President in October last year, eight names made it to the initial certified list of candidates, including independent Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte  of the Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan or PDP-Laban. Both have pending cases.

The Supreme Court’s oral arguments on Poe’s disqualification cases started on Tuesday to tackle the two rulings of the Comelec to cancel her certificate of candidacy for President.

There is an existing temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court against the Comelec, which prevents the commission from removing Poe’s name from the list of candidates.

Duterte is facing four disqualification petitions, which have been consolidated and awaiting resolution from the Comelec’s First Division.

The initial certified list also included six candidates for vice president, 52 senatorial aspirants and over a hundred party-list groups.

Also included in the initial certified list of candidates for president are: Vice President Jejomar Binay, United Nationalist Alliance; Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, People’s Reform Party; former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Liberal Party; former ambassador and OFW party-list Rep. Roy Señeres; Mel Mendoza, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino; and Dante Valencia.

Mendoza, who wrote “assistant project officer” as his job, and Valencia, a civil engineer and networker, are both relatively unknown in the field of politics.

Based on earlier reports, Mendoza, secretary general of the Kalipunan ng Masang Pilipino (Kampil) which is allied with the PMP, filed his COC supposedly to reserve a slot for the third presidential run of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. Tina G. Santos