PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Grace Poe’s accuser Rizalito David, who claims she is not qualified to run for President, has been declared a nuisance presidential candidate by the Commission on Elections’ Second Division.
In a six-page resolution, the Second Division led by Commissioner Al Parreño barred David from running for president next year for his lack of financial ability and for failing to prove that he is being nominated by Ang Kapatiran Party.
“Accordingly, Rizalito David is hereby declared a nuisance candidate and his Certificate of Candidacy for president for the May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections is hereby canceled,” the Second Division said.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said they will look into the possibility of releasing a “partial” list of candidates for next year’s elections on Dec. 15.
“We will already input whatever names that are already final, tapos hahabulin na lang namin yung iba pang candidates na may pending cases,” Bautista told the reporters.
The Second Division made its decision on David’s case even as the Supreme Court has scheduled a special en banc session on Dec. 16 to deliberate on pressing election cases.
The high court’s justices agreed to hold another full court session during their last regular session for the year last Tuesday due to the “urgency of the cases involving the Comelec,” a Court insider said.
The source said among the issues included in the Court’s agenda was the urgent plea of the poll body to lift the temporary restraining order issued on Dec. 1 restraining the new policy requiring voters to register for biometrics before they would be allowed to vote in next year’s general elections.
The Comelec cited David’s CoC and his answers to his petition indicating he is a broadcaster.
“While such is a noble way to earn a living, a clear proof however of his financial capability to run a nationwide campaign is absent,” the resolution said.
On Oct. 13, 2015, the Comelec received a letter from Ang Kapatiran president Norman Cabrera saying his party was not “fielding any candidate” for the 2016 elections.
The Comelec’s Second Division also said that while he submitted copies of the endorsements and names of the individuals and organization supporting his presidential bid, David failed to persuade the poll body that he is Ang Kapatiran’s standard bearer.
David, a losing senatorial bet, was the first to file a petition against Poe before the Senate Electoral Tribunal and before Comelec questioning her citizenship and her compliance with the 10-year residency requirement.
However, the SET ruled in favor of Poe, stressing that her victory for the senatorial seat was valid.
