CONA concerns not enough to declare an aspirant nuisance – Comelec chief

Metro Manila, Philippines – Aspirants facing challenges to their Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) for the elections are not automatically declared a nuisance applicant, Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia said on Thursday, Oct. 17.

Garcia responded to inquiries in a letter submitted by the Worker's Peasant's Party and its Senate bet, Sonny Matula, asking to cancel the candidacy of detained televangelist Apollo Quiboloy listed under the party.

The group earlier denied signing candidacy papers for Quiboloy’s Senate bid.

The controversial religious leader was included in the initial list of senatorial aspirants released by Comelec on Wednesday. He is facing human trafficking and child abuse charges, and detained at the national police headquarters in Quezon City.

In a chance interview in Taguig City, Garcia said he has yet to review the letter of Matula and his party.

“Kung naka-question ang kanyang pagiging kandidato ng mismo partido na iyan, pwede naman siyang independent candidate. And therefore, independent candidate pwede pa rin maka takbo. So sa issue ng iyong by misrepresentation, we are going to answer that later,” said Garcia.

[Translation: If his candidacy is questioned by that very party, he can run as an independent candidate. Therefore, as an independent candidate, he can still participate. As for the issue of misrepresentation, we will address that later.]

The election law defines nuisance candidates as those who:

+ put the election process in mockery or disrepute

+ cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates or by other circumstances

+ acts which clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the certificate of candidacy has been filed and thus prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate

The commission said its law department has filed petitions against 117 aspirants, including first-time filers, those previously declared nuisance candidates in past elections, and some who have hogged headlines like Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy,” who appeared in a video that linked the Duterte family to narcotics.

Garcia said the poll body will issue a final list of national and local candidates before Dec. 13.