Hearing on BOPK petition to nullify other 'Rama' candidates set today

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections in Manila is scheduled to hear today the petition of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan to disqualify certain candidates in Cebu City who have similar family names of the BOPK candidates, particularly of Vice Mayor Michael Rama.

Rama said he wants to fly to Manila this morning to attend the proceedings, though he will be allowing his lawyers to represent him there should more important matters here need his attention.

The BOPK has filed a petition before the Comelec-Manila to disqualify Dorotheo Rama and Serafin Rama as candidates for mayor and vice mayor of Cebu City, respectively.

The vice mayor said that even if Dorotheo had already withdrawn his Certificate of Candidacy as mayor, he wants to make it sure that Dorotheo’s name would be deleted from the list of candidates and will not be reflected in the ballots.

As for Joy Augustus Young, BOPK candidate for vice mayor, he said he will just let his lawyers represent him before the Comelec-Manila.

Both Dorotheo and Serafin Rama filed their COCs under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, but their certificates of nominations were signed by former mayor Alvin Garcia who is also running for mayor in the forthcoming elections.

It fueled speculations that the opposition party intentionally fielded some candidates with the same family name of the vice mayor just to confuse the voters.

One of the grounds that could be a basis to disqualify a candidate is by “other acts or circumstances” which clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the COC has been filed and thus prevent the faithful determination of the true will of the electorate.

Other candidates who are subject for disqualification have the same family names of reelectionist Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias, councilorial candidates Nida Cabrera and Alvin Arcilla, all candidates under the BOPK.

Congressional aspirant Rachel “Cutie” del Mar of the city’s north district has already filed a similar petition before the Comelec requesting the poll body to declare as nuisance and to delete the name of Jacinto del Mar. — Rene U. Borromeo/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)