Comelec junks disqualification cases vs Miriam, Osmeña III

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division on Wednesday junked the disqualification cases filed against Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and former Senator Sergio Osmeña III, who are both running for senator. In separate resolutions, the poll body division dismissed the disqualification pleas against the two senatorial bets for lack of merit. Osmeña is running as an independent while Santiago is running for re-election under the People’s Reform Party. She is also a guest candidate under five other parties. A lawyer named Nombraan Pangcoga filed the disqualification case against Santiago due to her allegedly “unsound mind" and unparliamentary conduct. Pangcoga said Santiago displayed symptoms of her insanity and unparliamentary behavior during her many years as a public servant. He also said she should be disqualified for being guilty of graft and corruption and allegedly failing to disclose her financial and business interests. He also accused Santiago of giving “unwarranted benefits" to her relatives by having them appointed to the government. Santiago had denied the accusations and pointed to her arch nemesis, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, as the brains behind the disqualification case. On the other hand, a lawyer named Vladimir Alarique Cabigao filed the disqualification plea against Osmeña and former Senator Franklin Drilon, saying that the two have “not completed the prohibitory period of one term, or six years" since their last term in 2007. Drilon and Osmeña served for two terms in the Senate, from 1995 to 2007, but Cabigao said the two former senators can only seek reelection in 2013, or six years after they served their consecutive terms in the Senate. The disqualification case against Drilon has yet to be resolved by the Comelec First Division. - KBK, GMANews.TV