Tuesday, April 03, 2007 Comelec starts purging of list as petitions are filed for disqualification of poll bets
PURGING of nuisance candidates from the list at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu Provincial Office started yesterday with the filing of a petition for disqualification against two persons who are running for Madridejos town mayor.
Salvador dela Fuente, who is challenging reelectionist Mayor Lety Mancio, moved to delete from the list two other mayoral candidates that like him, bear the nickname “Sally or SM.”
The Comelec list shows that there are three candidates for mayor whose nicknames are “Sally or SM.”
Dela Fuente, in two separate petitions, accused fellow candidates Alexander dela Fuente and Salvacion Labrador of mocking the electoral process and using his nickname in “gross malice and to cause confusion.”
Mancio and Salvador dela Fuente are the two leading contenders in this year’s elections in Madridejos, with Mancio having the support of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Salvador, meanwhile, is backed by the district’s known political leader, former congressman Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. and Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez.
His petition was signed by lawyers Bernadito Florido and Haide Acuña.
According to his complaint, Alexander dela Fuente is the nephew of Rufino Mancio, husband of Mayor Lety Mancio.
Salvacion Labrador, he said, is the first cousin of Mayor Mancio herself.
He said both candidates have no intention of running for mayor “except for the purpose of putting the election process in mockery or disrespect.
“They clearly have no capacity to wage and honor a political campaign and should be disqualified,” dela Fuente said.
The Comelec should annul their certificates of candidacy, which he said were filed “to prevent honest and faithful determination of the will of the electorate.”
Mancio could not be reached through her mobile phone. Her lawyer, Nathaniel Clarus, said he will not comment yet as they have yet to see the petition.
Clarus, however, said he has seen in Madridejos pamphlets and the headquarters of the two respondents of Salvador’s petition.
But Mancio’s camp also filed late yesterday afternoon a petition to cancel the nickname of Salvador, saying the two letters “SM” can easily be used to manipulate ballots.
As Salvador is using two nicknames, Clarus cited Section 74 of the Omnibus Election Code that states a candidate is entitled to use one nickname that he is popularly known for in the locality.
Clarus said “SM” is not Salvador’s nickname but the name of his business establishment in Madri-dejos. (JPM)
