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Comelec OKs Sanchez widow's bid for governor


The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has allowed Armand Sanchez’s widow to replace him in the gubernatorial race in Batangas province on Monday’s local and national automated elections. “Edna Sanchez is qualified to substitute for her deceased husband. And this substitution is not contrary to law or our rules," the Comelec en banc said in a five-page resolution, reversing an earlier ruling by the Comelec Law Department. In its new ruling, the poll body noted that Mrs. Sanchez just stepped up her candidacy from mayor of Sto. Tomas town to governor of the province. She was replaced by Renato Federico. The Comelec Law Department had earlier rejected both Mrs. Sanchez’s and Federico’s certificates of candidacy. Sec. 77 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) allows the substitution of candidates due to death or disqualification even up to midday of election day. Sanchez’s husband died on April 27 a day after he was rushed to a hospital after collapsing in the middle of a campaign sortie reportedly due to heat stroke. Doctors said he died of brain hemorrhage. The Comelec Law Department earlier rejected Mrs. Sanchez’s bid for the gubernatorial post, saying that anyone who has withdrawn her candidacy would not be eligible to run for any other position. The department likewise thumbed down Federico’s bid because it went beyond the December 14, 2009 deadline on the substitution of candidates. However, in the new resolution, the Comelec upheld both of their candidacies after it took into consideration the death of Mr. Sanchez. Both Mrs. Sanchez and Federico were from the Manny Villar-led Nacionalista Party. Edna Sanchez would be up against independent candidates Marcos Millares Mandanas and Gaudioso Ortilla Platero, and incumbent governor Vilma Santos-Recto from the Noynoy Aquino-led Liberal Party. Mr. Sanchez served as Batangas governor from 2004 to 2007. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez earlier said that a vote for the substituted candidate would be a vote for the substitute. —KBK, GMANews.TV

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