El Shaddai's Bro. Mike, son nominees of Buhay party-list

Bro. Mike Velarde, head of religious group El Shaddai, and his son, Rene, are among the nominees of Buhay, the party-list group that topped the party-list system during the 2007 polls. This was confirmed by Melquiades A. Robles, El Shaddai spokesperson, who is also the Light Rail Transit Authority’s administrator. “Yes, Bro. Mike is among the nominees pero pang number 5 lang sya, (he’s just the fifth nominee)" Robles said in a telephone interview. The religious leader is just a “reserve" in case the party-list group’s first three nominees are disqualified. “Tatlo lang naman ang talagang papasok diba kaya nasa number 5 lang si Bro. Mike because he just wants to be number 5," he added, refusing to give the names of the first three nominees. (Only three nominees will be allowed. Bro. Mike just wants to be on the fifth slot.) During the May 2007 polls, the Buhay party-list system received 1.169 million votes, 7.4 percent of total votes cast. The turnout allowed them to occupy three seats in Congress. Bro. Mike’s son, Rene, Ma. Carissa O. Coscuella and William Irwin Tieng were the party’s nominees at that time. However, Rep. Coscuella was no longer included in the nominees list that was submitted to the Commission on Elections on Monday. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV