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Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Angara Wing asks SC to void Ping’s nomination
THE Angara wing of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) Monday filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking the nullification of the nomination of Sen. Panfilo Lacson as the presidential bet of the LDP because his nomination is illegal.
In a 33-page petition filed Monday with the High Tribunal, Sen. Edgardo Angara, LDP chairman, has asked the SC to order the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to recognize only the certificates of nomination executed by Angara and not by Makati Rep. Agapito Aquino, who is the LDP secretary-general.
The petition has clarified that only Angara, being the party’s chairman, has the sole power to nominate candidates for President, Vice President and senators.
“Directing the Comelec to recognize only those LDP certificates of candidacy to which are attached certificates of nomination executed by officers of the LDP duly-authorized in writing by Senator Angara for elective positions,” the petition said.
Also, the petition asked the SC to issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against Aquino so as to stop the congressman from nominating candidates and presenting them as LDP official candidates.
According to the Angara faction, Aquino has not been authorized to nominate candidates because he has been placed on indefinite leave.
Under the LDP constitution, Aquino has no authority to nominate, sign or endorse the certificates of candidacy of the candidates from President down to the last municipal councilor, Angara said.
Moreso, Angara has asked the SC to issue a writ of preliminary injunction on the decision of the Comelec upholding the legitimacy of the two LDP factions.
Angara’s group wanted the Comelec to annul its en banc decision last January 6, in which the commission both recognized Lacson and Fernando Poe Jr. as the candidates of the opposition.
They said unless the SC issues a TRO, “Aquino will continue his unauthorized, illegal and irregular exercise of powers.”
“It will confuse the electorate, spread thin the resources of the LDP. Split votes for the party’s candidates and diminish or even obliterate the chances of the party’s candidates from winning,” the petition said.
On the other hand, Lacson accused Angara of allegedly sabotaging the ongoing unification talks between the two factions of LDP.
“He’s at it again. Senator Angara is making it hard for everybody to work towards unification,” Lacson said in a statement.
Lacson described Angara’s latest move as “highly divisive” as this could derail the positive results of initial talks between the LDP president and Aquino wherein the two have agreed to field a unified slate in the local level.
He accused Angara of reneging on their agreement made during the wake of Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Clara Lobregat to keep the status quo in the national level and that the two factions would help each other in the local level. JPM
(January 13, 2004 issue)
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