Lawyer hits Comelec over ‘massacre’ of LP

An election lawyer on Wednesday hit the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for what he sees as the “massacre" of the Noynoy Aquino-led Liberal Party (LP). In an interview with reporters, Sixto Brillantes said the “plot" against LP members is manifested either by disqualifying them from the May 2010 elections or by removing them from office. “Yesterday tinanggal ang isang governor ng LP, today nagkaroon ng decision against a LP candidate for governor, tomorrow there will another LP governor who is going to lose, masyado nang nama-massacre ang LP," he said. (The party is being massacred. They seem to come out with a decision against an LP member almost everyday.) He was referring to the controversial decisions of the Comelec to unseat governors Jonjon Mendoza of Bulacan and Grace Padaca of Isabela. The Comelec First Division also disqualified Palawan Rep. Abraham Khalil Mitra from running for governor due to residency issues. LP local executives Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo have likewise said that they expect to suffer the same fate as the two. Panlilio is facing an electoral protest similar to Mendoza and Padaca, the resolution of which will be announced on Thursday, while the case against Robredo, whose citizenship is being questioned, is pending in the Comelec en banc. Brillantes said he is not confident that the poll body would rule in favor of Panlilio. Brillantes said that while the Comelec was able to decide on these cases, his disqualification case against Kilusang Bagong Lipunang (KBL) presidential bet Vetellano Acosta remains pending in the poll body. "Decide sila nang decide against LP candidates pero yung pinapatanggal ko ritong isang nuisance candidate na presidential so as to favor a little Noynoy Aquino ayaw nilang resolvin, hanggang ngayon naroon," he said. (They are quick in deciding against LP candidates, but they can’t resolve our case against a nuisance candidate.) Brillantes said that Acosta was running to dislodge Aquino from his original position as first in the name order of candidates for president in the ballots. - KBK, GMANews.TV