Friday, April 13, 2007 Comelec may cancel two bets By Lizanilla J. Amarga
TWO top-ranking municipal candidates in the Province of Misamis Oriental are now facing the possibility of being dropped from the list of candidates in the May Elections.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) assistant regional director Carlito Ravelo said their office received a "Petition for Disqualification for Being a Nuisance Candidate" for a candidate for mayor in Gingoog City.
He said there are now two candidates who both have Rodriguez as their surnames, who are eyeing the mayoral seat in Gingoog City and one of them filed this petition for disqualification against the other Rodriguez.
"This Rodriguez's ground is that this other Rodriguez is being made to run for mayor by his political enemies to make sure that those who will vote for him and write only Rodriguez will be declared invalid," he said.
Reports disclosed that Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) mayoral candidate former Gingoog City mayor "Dodong" Romulo Rodriguez and Ernesto "Tisoy" Rodriguez are both eyeing the same highest seat in Gingoog City.
But Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro failed to contact both Rodriguez candidates as of Thursday.
Kampi regional head Second District of Misamis Oriental Representative Augusto Baculio Jr. who is running for governor sent this text message to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro: "This nuisance candidate must be immediately disqualified. Ernesto Rodriguez has done this twice to former mayor Romulo Rodriguez. The political enemies are getting desperate."
In a phone interview, Baculio's chief of staff Jun Barros clarified that it is former mayor Romulo Rodriguez who filed a petition against this other Rodriguez.
He said this as Mayor Romulo or fondly known as "Dodong" served as mayor in Gingoog City but in 2004 it was the latter's wife Remy who ran for mayor of Gingoog.
"And in the 2004 Elections, this Tisoy Rodriguez also filed a certificate of candidacy and indicating Remy as his nickname. So whether it would just be Remy or Rodriguez, the votes will be invalidated," said Barros.
"Now this 2007 Elections, this same Rodriguez person is filing another certificate of candidacy and putting Dodong as his nickname this time as it is former mayor Dodong Rodriguez who is running," he said.
But a supporter from Lakas-CMD-Padayon Pilipino led by Governor Oscar Moreno who is seeking a fresh mandate said the Rodriguez family is just showing how they are divided in Gingoog City.
"And it would still be the same as similar to what happened in 2004, where they will all be defeated by Mayor Ruthie Guingona," he said.
Guingona is currently running under Moreno's banner.
Meanwhile, Comelec's Ravelo said their office also received last Tuesday another petition for disqualification this time being filed against the incumbent Alubijid Vice-Mayor Armando M. Elarmo.
"The petitioner is saying that this incumbent vice-mayor is now running for a fourth term, thus he should be disqualified as this is beyond what the law allows," he said.
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro failed to contact Elarmo, but Barros defended him saying Elarmo is still within the allowed term limit.
He explained that in 2001, Elarmo became an acting municipal mayor for Alubijid when then mayoral candidate Alvin Labis filed an electoral protest against mayor-elect Fortunato Jamis.
"In 2001 Kaking Elarmo's term as vice-mayor was cut short as he came to serve as mayor. He then run for vice-mayor again in 2004 and will be running with us for vice-mayor this May 2007 Elections," he said. "Vice-Mayor Elarmo is still seeking a second term in fact."
