KBL's Acosta may be ineligible to run for president

Vetellano Acosta, the standard bearer of the Marcos-led Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), may be ineligible to run for president after Commission on Elections (Comelec) records revealed that he is not a registered voter. In his certificate of candidacy, Acosta indicated that he is a registered voter of Precinct 6, Barangay Tejeron, Sta. Ana, Manila. But in an interview with GMANews.TV, Manila 5th District election officer Narciso Arabe said that there are no records of Acosta ever being registered in Sta. Ana. "Chineck na yan pati sa district six, wala rin nakita (That was checked even in district six and we found no match)," he said. Acosta’s registration under the said address is "impossible" because the barangays in Sta. Ana are named with numbers and that Precinct 6 is found in Tondo, which is under the first district, Arabe added. Sta. Ana is under the jurisdiction of the fifth and sixth districts. But the “allegation has to be confirmed," Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said, adding that the poll body is investigating the matter. "Hindi pa naman huli ang lahat (It's not too late), this will be factored in the pending petition to disqualify," he told GMANews.TV in an interview. The commissioner could not answer how the poll body could have missed the fact about Acosta's supposed non-registration. But he noted that the Commission will admit it if it turns out to be true. "I think aaminin natin na na-overlook (we will admit that we overlooked the matter)," he said. 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. However, the Liberal Party filed a disqualification case against Acosta because it said that he is not the official KBL bet because the party failed to pass the certificate of nomination before the Dec. 1, 2009 deadline. It further asserted that Acosta was only running to dislodge their standard bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III 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. Sarmiento said that the Comelec "hopefully" plans to come out with the decision this week, if not "soonest." 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 led by the late President Corazon Aquino. Today, the party continues to enjoy support in the late dictator’s home province, Ilocos Norte. KBL will be fielding seven senatorial candidates, including Nanettte Espinosa, Shariff Ibrahim H. Albani, Alma A. Lood, Regalado E. Maambong, Ma. Judea G. Millora, Imelda A. Papin, and Hector L. Villanueva — all of whom were included in the initial list of approved candidates. Jose “Jay" Y. Sonza will be running as the party's vice presidential bet. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV