Mar wants namesake declared as nuisance candidate

MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas II on Wednesday filed a petition before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare a certain Manuel Antonio Roxas as a nuisance candidate.

The LP presidential candidate's namesake also filed a certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.

The Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines states that the Comelec, upon a verified petition of an interested party, may cancel a COC if it has been filed "to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates."

The Comelec may also consider an aspirant as a nuisance candidate if shown that his/her COC was filed "to put the election process in mockery or disrepute" or proven that the candidate "has no bona fide intention to run for the office."

The law department of the Comelec has also filed petitions to declare some of those who filed COCs last week as nuisance candidates.

The commission is set to release the final list of candidates for national positions by December 10.