Marcos party in 'disarray'

MANILA -- While the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) party remains to be an accredited political party, its internal disorganization practically imploded at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Friday.

During the second of the two-day hearing at the Comelec Session Hall in Manila on senatorial aspirants, it was revealed that the party of former president Ferdinand Marcos is currently in disarray.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said their records and as verified by Senator Bongbong Marcos, former poll commissioner Jaime Opinion is the acknowledged president of the KBL.

This was in contrast to the content of the certificates of nomination and acceptance (CONA) submitted by the seven KBL bets who filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs), who carried the signature of Vicente Millora.

The KBL bets are Alma Abella, Melchor Chavez, Virgilio Gundayao, Norma Nueva, Wenceslao Pancho Jr., and Victor Wood. Lawyer Oliver Lozano was the seventh but withdrew his COC earlier this week.

Chavez insisted that Millora is the party president but when asked for the latter's presence, the former could only produce an affidavit of declaration.

"If Millora is not around, how can he attest to the affidavit that has been submitted? We would have to ask him when and how he became president of KBL. (Because) As far as the records are concerned, it is Mr. Opinion who is president," said Brillantes.

Chavez countered by saying the current state of the KBL is already an internal matter and does not concern the commission.

"This squabbling of your political party is the concern of our commission. If we have no business then you have no business here," retorted an irked Brillantes.

Because of the development, Abella disclosed that she will transfer to the Partido Mangagagawa at Magsasaka while Wood opted to run as an independent.

Meanwhile, contrary to the heated exchange between KBL and the poll chief, 75-year-old senatorial applicant Norma Nueva brought some comic relief to the hearing after she opted to flirt with Brillantes.

Upon knowing that Brillantes is already a widower, Nueva said he finds the poll chief "handsome" and that she is "very much available."

"I am very much available and negotiable. It is my honor to have chairman as my future. May asim pa po ako, mas maasim pa po ako sa isang sako ng kamias at kamatis," said Nueva.

Brillantes responded by saying that he would just opt to inhibit from the case of Nueva, which elicited more laughter from the audience.

Of the 14 candidates slated to appear before the commission en banc Friday, five did not show up.

On Thursday, Brillantes had already said that those who did not appear are almost certain to be denied due course of their COCs.

Brillantes, then, declared that the results of the two-day hearing will be available in 10 days.

Earlier, the Comelec en banc had already given due course to the COCs of 27 senatorial bets, including those in the line-ups of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and the Liberal Party (LP) coalition. (HDT/Sunnex)