Comelec: Hearing vs Lakas-Kampi merger set next week

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects to start hearing next week the petition lodged by former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. questioning the merger of administration parties Lakas-CMD and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi). On Wednesday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said they would decide on the petition before November 20, the start of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the 2010 elections. “Kapa-file lang ng petition ni (former) Speaker Jose De Venecia. Ika-calendar ng ating commission yan. Siguro next week magsisimula na ang pagdinig (De Venecia had just filed his petition. We will set a schedule for the hearing, which might start next week)," Jimenez said in an interview on dzXL radio. “Kapag nasimulan ang hearing, hindi pwedeng patulugin ang kaso. Dapat maresolba yan bago magsimula ang filing of candidacy (We cannot let this case lapse. We should resolve it before the filing period starts)," Jimenez said. The Comelec had said the filing of COCs for all elective positions will run from November 20 to 30. In the same period, registered party-list groups may also file manifestations of intent to participate in the party-list elections. On Tuesday, De Venecia petitioned the Comelec to nullify the unification of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s political party Kampi last May. In a 20-page petition, De Venecia said the formation of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD political party was done against the Lakas party’s charter. He said there was no national assembly convened for the purpose, nor did Lakas ratify the action of its National Directorate to enter into a merger with Kampi as required by its constitution. Respondents Named respondents were President Arroyo, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr., Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio. All are officials of interim national executive committee of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, which formalized its merger last May 28. On Tuesday, Nograles, who sits as Lakas-Kampi-CMD's vice chairman along with Puno, said De Venecia had no right to complain regarding the party's affairs as the former House leader is not a member in good standing. "JDV has no more business commenting about our political party as we have abolished Lakas and merged it to create a new political party with a new personality," he said. Claudio, meanwhile, said De Venecia’s opposition to the merger came late since the hearing for the registration of the merged party was held by the Comelec last July 16. Claudio added that De Venecia was probably just attempting to sow doubt among the ranks of Lakas-Kampi-CMD members, and to impede or delay the party’s selection process for its standard-bearer and other bets in the 2010 elections. - GMANews.TV