GO to challenge LP selection as dominant minority
05/03/2007 | 09:26 AM
An opposition lawyer on Thursday said that he will question the choice of the Liberal Party as the dominant minority party that will get the sixth copy of the election returns (ERs) in the May 14 elections.
This came from Genuine Opposition (GO) lawyer Sixto Brillantes as he branded the Commission on Elections (Comelec)'s selection process as "luto" (scripted).
"Mukhang niluto ang paghahanap ng dominant at paghanap ng major political parties. Importanteng importante sa opposition ito (It appears the selection process for the dominant minority party was scripted. But this is a serious matter for the opposition)," Brillantes said in an interview on dzXL radio.
Brillantes, who said he was to file a motion with the Comelec within the day, clarified he is not questioning the LP but the selection process of the Comelec.
The opposition lawyer also said he has no problem with the LP as the GO has an arrangement with the LP to "share" ERs.
However, Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., in a separate interview, said anyone questioning the Comelec's choices is welcome to file a motion for reconsideration.
"Kung sila nagdududa humingi sila ng motion for reconsideration at tingnan natin ano ang pinagbabatayan ng kanilang pagdududa. Simula't simula kinakausap ko sila bakit di kayo magusap-usap, magkasama kayo under GO para di sumakit ulo namin sa computation (If they have doubts, they should file a motion for reconsideration and we'll look into their basis. I already told the opposition parties to get their act together if only to spare us in the Comelec a major headache)," Abalos said.
The Comelec named the Lakas-CMD as the dominant majority party and the LP as the dominant minority party. The two parties will get copies of the ERs.
Brillantes questioned the selection process where the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) ranked higher as a major party than the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
He contested Abalos' claim that the GO was fragmented in registering its candidates with the Comelec. The Comelec said GO candidates registered under their respective parties.
"Ang United Opposition nga nagsama-sama na official ... Ang UNO ang nagparehistro na coalition. Di ko maintindihan (The Comelec got it wrong. It was the political parties that got together to form UNO)," he said.
"May anomalya rito sa nangyari. Isang buwan nila pinagaralan yan, kahapon lumabas. Mukhang di tiningnan mabuti kung ano ang computation (There is something fishy. They had one month to study it but they apparently didn't do their homework)," he added.
But Abalos countered that the Comelec considers UNO's main components Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) separate entities.
"Ang UNO, separate. Officially dadalawa, ang PDP at PMP ... Kung inaakala nila nagkamali kami rito tawagin nila ang aming pansin (UNO is separate. Officially it is two separate entities, the PMP and PDP. If they think we are wrong, they should call our attention formally)," he said. - GMANews.TV
This came from Genuine Opposition (GO) lawyer Sixto Brillantes as he branded the Commission on Elections (Comelec)'s selection process as "luto" (scripted).
"Mukhang niluto ang paghahanap ng dominant at paghanap ng major political parties. Importanteng importante sa opposition ito (It appears the selection process for the dominant minority party was scripted. But this is a serious matter for the opposition)," Brillantes said in an interview on dzXL radio.
Brillantes, who said he was to file a motion with the Comelec within the day, clarified he is not questioning the LP but the selection process of the Comelec.
The opposition lawyer also said he has no problem with the LP as the GO has an arrangement with the LP to "share" ERs.
However, Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., in a separate interview, said anyone questioning the Comelec's choices is welcome to file a motion for reconsideration.
"Kung sila nagdududa humingi sila ng motion for reconsideration at tingnan natin ano ang pinagbabatayan ng kanilang pagdududa. Simula't simula kinakausap ko sila bakit di kayo magusap-usap, magkasama kayo under GO para di sumakit ulo namin sa computation (If they have doubts, they should file a motion for reconsideration and we'll look into their basis. I already told the opposition parties to get their act together if only to spare us in the Comelec a major headache)," Abalos said.
The Comelec named the Lakas-CMD as the dominant majority party and the LP as the dominant minority party. The two parties will get copies of the ERs.
Brillantes questioned the selection process where the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) ranked higher as a major party than the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC).
He contested Abalos' claim that the GO was fragmented in registering its candidates with the Comelec. The Comelec said GO candidates registered under their respective parties.
"Ang United Opposition nga nagsama-sama na official ... Ang UNO ang nagparehistro na coalition. Di ko maintindihan (The Comelec got it wrong. It was the political parties that got together to form UNO)," he said.
"May anomalya rito sa nangyari. Isang buwan nila pinagaralan yan, kahapon lumabas. Mukhang di tiningnan mabuti kung ano ang computation (There is something fishy. They had one month to study it but they apparently didn't do their homework)," he added.
But Abalos countered that the Comelec considers UNO's main components Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) separate entities.
"Ang UNO, separate. Officially dadalawa, ang PDP at PMP ... Kung inaakala nila nagkamali kami rito tawagin nila ang aming pansin (UNO is separate. Officially it is two separate entities, the PMP and PDP. If they think we are wrong, they should call our attention formally)," he said. - GMANews.TV
