Candidates excluded in Comelec's partial list demand explanation

Environmentalist Nicanor Perlas and detained Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim on Wednesday sought the explanation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on why they were not included in the initial list of candidates who will be allowed to run in the 2010 elections. Perlas said that the poll body’s decision to exclude him from its list of eligible presidential candidates had “no legal basis." “My lawyers looked at the three aspects that would make a person a nuisance candidate, all of these do not apply to me. It doesn’t really match," he told reporters after failing to get an audience with Comelec Chairman Jose Melo.
According to Comelec Resolution No. 8678, a nuisance candidate is one who “put(s) the election process in mockery or disrepute; cause(s) confusion among the voters by the similarity of names of registered candidates; or one who has no bona fide intention to run for the office." “I think I’m above (them), (if you check the) background (of all the) presidential candidates, who has the most number of global and national awards?" he said. Earlier, however, Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmento said that those who were not included in the list were not necessarily regarded as nuisance candidates. He said they might have been deemed not having the capacity to launch a nationwide campaign. But Perlas argued that even that is not enough reason to exclude him from the race. “Is the Comelec saying that if I’m not a millionaire or a billionaire, I’m not qualified to run? I feel like they give money too much value," said Perlas. The environmentalist said he will file his formal appeal in the coming days. On the other hand, Lim was likewise not included in the list of qualified candidates for supposedly not having the needed political machinery to launch a campaign. His representative, therefore, went to the poll body main office to show the Comelec a certification from the Liberal Party (LP) saying that they had nominated him as a guest candidate. His certificate of candidacy filed last November 27 indicated that he was running as independent bet. The poll body had approved the candidacies of eight presidential, eight vice presidential, and 58 senatorial hopefuls for the 2010 elections. It said it will come out with the final list of candidates by the end of next week. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan/LBG, GMANews.TV