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Acosta not official KBL bet, LP insists


The Liberal Party (LP) on Friday insisted that presidential aspirant Vetellano Acosta should once again be declared as a nuisance candidate because he is not officially the candidate of the Marcos-led Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL). "I'm trying to prove that he is trying to misrepresent himself as a legitimate candidate when in fact he is not," said Sixto Brillantes, counsel for LP presidential bet Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) heard their motion seeking to disqualify Acosta. Acosta, a banker, was earlier disqualified from seeking public office because he failed to prove that he could launch a nationwide campaign without the backing of a political party. But after filing a motion for reconsideration with a certificate of nomination from the KBL, his candidacy was approved by the poll body. Brillantes, however, argued that the KBL failed to pass the certificate of nomination before the Dec. 1, 2009 deadline. The KBL submitted their MR together with the nomination on Dec. 21. The motion was heard on December 28 and was granted on Jan. 14, 2010. "Sa tingin ko panalo na ako kung batas ang susundan, at kung resolution ang susundan (I think I've already won if we are to follow the law and the Comelec resolutions)," he told reporters. Fake documents? Further, Brillantes told the Comelec en banc that the other documents submitted to the poll body, like Acosta's biodata, were all fake. "They were trying to influence the commission by presenting documents, daming mali eh, daming kalokohan sa dokumento eh (there were so many errors in the documents)," he said. Brillantes cited Acosta's supposed involvement in several international institutions and even his educational background, wherein it was said that he earned a degree in commerce but without indicating the school he attended. Acosta later on said that he attended the East Negros Bacolod College. Commissioner Lucenito Tagle also inquired about a 400-hectare reclamation project in Cebu that has supposedly been keeping Acosta busy the past few months, keeping him away from the public eye. The project was also not mentioned in the biodata. The poll body then gave Acosta's camp three days to submit the documents supporting the details on the aspirant's biodata. Rebuttal Earlier, Brillantes said that Acosta was only running to dislodge Aquino from his original position as first in the name order of candidates for President to be printed on the ballots. But Acosta's counsel, former Comelec Commissioner Jaime Opinion, said that this is not enough basis to seek the disqualification of their candidate. "This is not a legal ground for him to intervene," he said during the hearing. In addition, KBL chairman and president Vicente Millora said that Aquino should understand that Acosta, although relatively unknown by the public, must be given the same privilege as him. "An election is not a popularity contest, it is sad that Mr. Aquino does not know it," he said. Former Court of Appeals Justice and former Comelec Commissioner Regalado Maambong, who is also counsel for Acosta, said that Brillantes should not question the Comelec en banc's earier decision because it was what was decided. An accident? Acosta, who said that he has been a member of the KBL for a long time now, said that it was only an "accident" that he ended up running for president. "Totally parang accident lang ito, accident lang itong pagtakbo ko dito bilang presidente ng pilipinas, bilang pangulo ng Pilipinas (It was totally an accident, it was an accident how I ended up running for president of the Philippines)," he told reporters after the hearing, although he refused to elaborate on the matter. He also admitted that he had initially filed his candidacy without talking to his party-mates. "Biglaan lang (It was so sudden)," he said. But the KBL bet said he is clear on what he wants to do for the country if he is elected. "Basta ang ginagawa ko para sa kabuhayan, kinabukasan (I just know that what I'm doing is for our livelihood, for our future)," he said, adding that he wishes to "establish the economic stability of this country." Brillantes, for his part, said he believes that he has done enough to disqualify Acosta. "Tama na yun, naiintindihan na ng komisyon yun, di naman mga bobo mga commissioners (That's enough, the commission understands because the commissioners are not stupid)," he said. The KBL, founded by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1978, was the dominant political party in the Philippines until Marcos' ouster in 1986 via a popular uprising that catapulted the Corazon Aquino to power. Today, the party continues to enjoy support in the late dictator’s home province, Ilocos Norte. The KBL will be fielding seven senatorial candidates, including Nanettte Espinosa, Shariff Ibrahim H. Albani, Alma A. Lood, Maambong, Ma. Judea G. Millora, Imelda A. Papin, and Hector L. Villanueva – all of whom were included in the initial list of approved candidates. In the meantime, Jose “Jay" Y. Sonza will be running as the party's vice presidential bet. - RSJ/RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

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