Petitioner asks Comelec to scrap Poe's name in official candidate list

MANILA, Philippines – The petitioner in Sen. Grace Poe’s disqualification case on Tuesday submitted another petition requesting the Commission on Elections to exclude Poe in the official list of candidates and ballots for the 2016 poll.

Lawyer and former chief legal counsel of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Estrella Elamparo filed  the petition anew after her first petition to disqualify Poe was granted by the Comelec's Second Division.

“It is most respectfully prayed that the respondent’s name (Poe) be excluded from the official list of candidates for the presidency and from the ballots to be utilized for the 9 May 2016 National and Local Elections in view of the Resolution dated 1 December 1 issued by the Second Division of the Honorable Commission,” Elamparo’s petition read.

Elamparo mentioned in her petition dated Dec. 1, 2015,  that the Supreme Court noted the confusion and inconvenience that may arise if the state will not remove candidates with the same case as Poe.

“Moreover the SC noted that more logistical confusion and inconvenience would arise if the State would not take remedial action to remove candidates in the same situation as respondent. The voters would be constrained to cast their votes while, at the same time, have lingering doubts as to a candidate’s qualifications,” the petition read.

“In fine, there is no need to await the finality of the subject Resolution before the Honorable Commission can follow its own ruling. To decide not to remove respondent from the list of registered candidates would be to render the power of the Honorable Commission to deny due course to candidate’s Certificate of Candidacy nugatory as the same may simply be mooted by supervening events,” it added.

Meanwhile, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez clarified that the en banc has not decided yet to remove Poe from the official ballots for the 2016 polls.

“Clarification:Hindi pa ito napagde-desisyunan ng Comelec en banc, na siyang maglalabas ng official list of candidates,” he said in his Twitter account responding to a radio report that the Comelec will include Poe in the ballots until the final decision comes out.

Jimenez also said there is no petition needed to include Poe and stressed that the Comelec en banc will be the only one to decide on the matter of final and official list of candidates.

“No need for petition. Pero en banc nga po ang magde-decide kung sino ang masasama sa official list of candidates,” he said.

Poe's camp said Elamparo's move is "premature and reeks of politics and mind conditioning." They are also set to appeal Poe's disqualification case before the Comelec en banc.