By Ferdinand G. Patinio
MANILA, Dec 7 (PNA) — A total of 205 aspirants for national positions in the May 2016 polls have been declared nuisance candidates by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
According to Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista, based on the decisions of the polls body’s First and Second Divisions, the moto proprio petitions filed by the Law Department against the Certificates of Candidacy (CoCs) of 100 presidential, nine vice presidential and 96 senatorial aspirants have been granted.
However, he noted that these individuals may still file their respective motions for reconsideration, challenging the ruling of the Divisions before the Commission en banc.
“They still have the chance to file a motion for reconsideration with the Comelec en banc,” Bautista said in a press briefing.
Of the 130 CoCs submitted for president, 125 were filed petitions to be declared nuisance candidates.
In the vice presidential post, 13 of the 19 aspirants were included in the petitions while 129 out of the 172 looking to run for senatorial seats also faced motto proprio petitions.
The poll body is set to come up with the final list of official candidates for next year’s elections by Dec. 15.
“I am asking the other members of the Commission to immediately decide on the cases since the deadline to come up with the final list of candidates is near,” the poll body chief said. (PNA)