2013 partylist nominees: Past, present gov’t officials

Reynaldo Santos Jr

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Kontra Daya claims that most of the nominees do not "represent the interest of the marginalized and underrepresented"

MANILA, Philippines – Former and present government officials and their immediate relatives have been nominated by partlylist groups as representatives for next year’s elections.

Some of the nominees ran and lost in the 2010 elections — a violation of Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules, a poll watchdog claims.

The following are included in the list of nominees of partylist groups and parties that expressed intent to join the 2013 mid-term polls:

  • Leonor Briones – former national treasurer
  • Nasser C. Pangandaman – former agrarian reform secretary
  • Silvestre Bello III – former justice secretary
  • Rolex Suplico – former Iloilo representative
  • Romeo G. Jalosjos – former Zamboanga del Norte representative
  • Pantaleon D. Alvarez – former Davao del Norte representative and Transportation and Communication secretary
  • Roselyn E. Paras – former Naval, Biliran councilor
  • Danilo V. Roleda – former Manila City councilor
  • Plaridel M. Abaya – former Cavite 1st district representative
  • Salvacion Zaldivar Perez – former Antique governor
  • Corazon Alma G. De Leon – former chair, Civil Service Commission
  • Carmelita P. Crisologo – former Ilocos Sur governor
  • Nerissa Corazon C. Soon-Ruiz – former Cebu 6th district representative
  • Joseph Emile Penson Juico – incumbent Quezon City councilor, and son of incumbent PCSO chairman Margarita Juico
  • Brigido R. Simon, Jr. – former Quezon City OIC mayor
  • Roy V. Señeres, Sr. – former ambassador and National Labor Relations Commission chairman
  • Margarita Cojuangco – former Tarlac governor
  • Jorge Banal – former Quezon City councilor, and father of Quezon City representative Bolet Banal
  • Eric D. Singson – former Ilocos Sur representative
  • Ferdinand Topacio – former Assistant Secretary for Local Government at the Department of Interior and Local Government, and now legal counsel for former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo
  • Daniel A. Dimagiba – former Air Transportation Office chair
  • Dixon Quiblat Yasay – incumbent Opol, Misamis Oriental mayor
  • Lord Allan Jay – incumbent Marinduque representative, and son of Supreme Court Justice Presbitero Velasco
  • Eric G. Singson Jr. – incumbent Ilocos Sur representative and son of former Ilocos Sur representative Eric D. Singson
  • Patrick Leonard Lacson – incumbent Negros Occidental board member
  • Leah Navarro – current Movie and Television Review and Classification Board board member
  • Joshua John C. Santiago – incumbent San Lorenzo, Makati barangay captain


Relatives of some former and incumbent officials are also nominees of some groups. They include:

  • Evangeline Palparan – wife of retired general and former Bantay partylist representative Jovito Palparan
  • Mary Grace Ibuna – partner of former Negros Occidental representative Ignacio Arroyo
  • Jewel May Lobaton – former wife of Senator Koko Pimentel
  • Tanya Katherine Rosales (or Tanya Garcia) – wife of former Pampanga governor Mark Lapid
  • Weslie T. Gatchalian – brother of incumbent Valenzuela mayor Sherwin Gatchalian and Rex Gatchalian
  • Roy M. Señeres, Jr. – son of former ambassador and NLRC chairman Roy V. Señeres, Sr.
  • Lorna Velasco – wife of SC Justice Presbitero Velasco
  • Tricia Nicole Velasco-Catera – daughter of SC Justice Presbitero Velasco
  • Vanessa Rose Susano Francisco – niece of former Quezon City representative Mary Ann Susano
  • Julian Eugene Chipeco – sister of Laguna 2nd district representative Justin Chipeco
  • Diana G. Biron – mother of Iloilo 4th district representative Ferjenel Biron
  • Danilo C. Suarez, Jr. – son of Quezon 3rd district representative Danilo E. Suarez Sr.
  • Joanna C. Suarez – daughter of Quezon 3rd district representative Danilo E. Suarez Sr.
  • Gerald Hilarion M. Ramiro – son of former Health secretary and incumbent Misamis Occidental governor Herminia Ramiro


The list was posted online by Comelec in their website on Friday, August 10.

A total of 289 groups submitted their manifestation of intent to join next year’s elections. The deadline for filing was last April 30. Comelec resolution 9366 states that along with their manifestation, groups should submit to the poll body names of at least 5 of their nominees upon registration.

Among these 289 groups, 124 parties are still registered with the poll body. Only groups that obtained 2% of votes in two preceding elections are still accredited.



On the other hand, 165 of the groups are new groups whose registrations have yet to be approved. These include at least 14 groups that were previously delisted by Comelec.



Relatives

Rappler notes that most of names in the lists of nominees submitted by the groups are related to each other by blood.

A quick check reveals that two groups have 3 nominees who are related to each other: the Velascos of Ang Mata’y Alagaan (AMA) and the Susano-Franciscos of Ako Ang Batang Sora (ABS). Other groups have 2 nominees who are related.

Comelec Resolution 9366, or the rules and regulations governing the 2013 partylist elections, does not specifically state that having 2 or more relatives as nominees of a single party is a violation.

“That will have to be ruled on by the en ban,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told Rappler on Sunday, August 12, when asked about the issue.

Violation

Election watchdog Kontra Daya claims that some groups violated the Comelec rules when they submitted names of “questionable” individuals as their nominees.

In a report, the group claims that some parties submitted names of individuals who lost in the 2010 elections. They said that it is a violation of Rule 4, Section 5 of the Comelec Resolution No 9366, which states that the list of nominees of a group “shall not include any candidate for any elective office or a person who has lost his bid for an elective office in the immediately preceding election.”

Also, the group claims that most of the names submitted as nominees do not “represent the interest of the marginalized and underrepresented” due to their political and business backgrounds.

Below is the full report of Kontra Daya:



Jimenez told Rappler that they posted the list of nominees precisely to allow parties to come forward with what they know about the nominees.

“Interested groups like Kontra Daya should now seriously consider presenting their allegations and supporting evidence to Comelec so that all these issues can be sorted out before the Comelec finalizes everything for the ballot,” he said.

Jimenez added that they’re aiming to finish all hearings for partylist accreditation by end of September.

Kontra Daya has stated in news reports that they will be filing their opposition against various groups this week.

As for incumbent officials, Comelec has earlier announced that they will review their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth to determine whether they will be allowed to join the 2013 partylist elections. – Rappler.com

View the Elections 2013 Microsite here. 

More in Rappler’s Elections 2013 Coverage: 


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