Comelec declares Rizalito David nuisance candidate
THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Second Division yesterday declared presidential aspirant Rizalito David a nuisance candidate.
David, who lost the 2013 senatorial election, filed a petition in the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) for the ouster of
Sen. Grace Poe. The SET threw out the petition.
He is also one of the petitioners in the Comelec for the disqualification of Poe from next year’s presidential election.
The Comelec yesterday ruled in favor of its legal department, which had brought a motu proprio petition to declare David a nuisance candidate and cancel his certificate of candidacy (COC) for President.
The Comelec’s Second Division is led by Presiding Commissioner Al Parreno with Commissioners Arthur Lim and Sheriff Abas as members.
No financial capability
In the resolution, the Comelec Second Divison said that “it is clear that respondent has no bona fide intention to run for the office he seeks to be elected to.”
“Respondent indicated that he is a ‘broadcaster.’ While such is a noble way to earn a living, a clear proof, however, of his financial capability to run a nationwide campaign is absent,” the panel said.
It added that while David submitted copies of endorsements and names of individuals and organizations in support of his presidential bid, he failed to convince the Comelec.
“Moreover, the lists do not specifically state that it supports respondent’s candidacy,” the panel said.
No nomination
David had also claimed that he was nominated by Kapatiran Party. But this was refuted by the president of the party, Norman Cabrera.
“Kapatiran Party did not submit any list and specimen signature of the party’s authorized signatories who will sign certificate of nomination and acceptance,” Cabrera said in a letter to the Comelec law department.
“Consequently, respondent can only be considered to be running as an independent candidate…running as an independent candidate further decreases a candidate’s capability for such a rigorous and very expensive campaign as there will be no political party to support him,” the Comelec Second Division said.
