MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections on Thursday urged Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay), which is currently at the top of the official count of party-list votes, to resolve internal differences itself and not wait for the poll body to decide which of the group’s two different sets of nominees is entitled to sit in the House of Representatives.
“It should be an internal matter. It’s the party-list organization that solves that,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez told reporters in a briefing.
Although Comelec has been asked by each of the feuding Buhay factions to deny due course to the other side’s certificates of nomination, Jimenez said Comelec was reluctant to step into the feud.
Buhay, identified with the influential Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai founded by evangelist Bro. Mike Velarde, is poised to win three seats in the House in accordance with the Constitution, once it is formalized that it topped the votes.
The group, however, had presented two slates of nominees to Comelec. One is led by Hans Christian Señeres, the party’s acting president and secretary-general. The other was submitted by his predecessor Melquiades Robles, its slate led by Velarde’s son, Rene.
The Señeres list also included Hermenigildo Dumlao, Antonio Bautista, Victor Pablo Trinidad and Eduardo Solangon Jr.
Aside from Rene Velarde, Robles’ nominees are Ma. Carissa Coscolluela, William Irwin Tieng, Melchor Monsod and Teresita Villarama.
Señeres said Robles could no longer participate in the group’s affairs because the latter was appointed administrator of the Light Rail Transit Corp. He added that since government officials might not join political parties, Robles’ term as president had also expired.
Robles contended that he could not be forced out of Buhay because he still had the right to join an association even if he were a government official.
Señeres, however, argued that as secretary-general and acting president, he had the sole authority to submit the nominations.
Jimenez said Buhay members should resolve the feud quickly so that Buhay nominees could take their seats in Congress by June 30 and participate in the election of the House speaker.
“It’s all up to them, really. If they won’t settle this among themselves, then their congressional seats will remain unoccupied until the dispute is settled,” the spokesperson added.
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