Manzano urges Filipino voters amid Comelec cancellation of his candidacy

  • Page Views 1809
  • Petition vs actor a ‘political concoction,’ claims party

    Actor Eduardo “Edu” Manzano, who is vying for San Juan City’s lone congressional seat, said on Tuesday he would appeal the cancellation of his certificate of candidacy (CoC) by the Commission on Elections.

    Actor-politician Edu Manzano insisted Filipinos can still “vote” for him, this after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) canceled his candidacy as San Juan representative last May 6.

    Manzano, who is running under the banner of mayoral candidate Janella Ejercito Estrada, said he would bring his case to the Comelec en banc and the Supreme Court.

    In a statement sent to the Inquirer, the Ejercito-Estrada clan’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) party said the petition against its candidate was “a political concoction” of the clan’s rivals, the Zamoras.

    Incumbent Rep. Ronaldo Zamora, a nine-term congressman, is seeking reelection while his son, Francis, is locked in a heated battle for mayor against Estrada.

    ‘Desperate act’

    “It’s unfortunate that the Zamora camp cannot accept that their sowing of chaos and division in the San Juan electorate is nearing a close,” the PMP said. “So they are [participating] in every desperate act to thwart the will of San Juaneños.”
    It urged voters to shade Manzano’s name, which would remain on the official ballot, despite the Comelec ruling.

    On Monday, the Comelec Second Division canceled Manzano’s CoC, saying he was not a Filipino citizen when he filed it in October.
    The actor, it said, “committed material misrepresentation in his CoC when he declared therein that he is eligible for the office he seeks.”

    Manzano, who was born in San Francisco, California, to Filipino parents, served in the US Armed Forces between 1973 and 1977—considered grounds for losing one’s Philippine citizenship under Commonwealth Act No. 63.

    “When respondent voluntarily served in the US Armed Forces, he forfeited the priceless gift of Philippine citizenship bestowed [on] him by the Philippine Constitution,” the Comelec said. “From that moment, respondent is no longer a Filipino.”

    The central question the Comelec had to resolve was whether Manzano was able to reacquire his Philippine citizenship after returning to the country.
    It ultimately found that Manzano failed to comply with Republic Act No. 2630, which listed two requirements for regaining citizenship—taking an oath of allegiance to the Philippines and registering the same with the local civil registry in one’s place of residence.

    ‘Ineligible to run’

    “Respondent failed to reacquire his Philippine citizenship for noncompliance with the requirements of RA No. 2630 and is thus ineligible to run,” the Comelec said.
    The petition against Manzano was filed in November by a San Juan voter, Sophia Patricia Gil.
    Manzano’s citizenship was first questioned when he ran for Makati vice mayor in 1998. The Supreme Court ruled then in favor of Manzano, saying that because a CoC contained language amounting to an oath of allegiance, it was sufficient to renounce his US citizenship.
    The Comelec, however, disagreed that a CoC could be used as a substitute for an oath of allegiance. (M. Reysio-Cruz, inq.net)

    Share

    New Posts Recently publish post More

    • 20 November 2024
      1 day ago No comment

      Surrey Tree Lighting Festival welcomes Canadian Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Wizard on Nov. 23 Canadian artist and athlete to host breakdance demonstration

      Surrey, B.C. – The City of Surrey is proud to announce that Canadian breakdancer and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, will host a breakdance demonstration at the 14th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival & Holiday Market at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. ...

    • Photo by the Canadian Armed Forces.
      14 November 2024
      1 week ago No comment

      How Filipinos contribute to Canada’s diverse military

      As one of the biggest racialized populations in Canada, Filipinos are helping build a diverse and inclusive society. Filipinos are found in almost every aspect of life in the country, including the military. In the lead-up to this year’s commemoration of Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week, Statistics Canada on ...

    • 07 November 2024
      2 weeks ago No comment

      Marcos congratulates Trump

      President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines has congratulated Donald Trump for winning the November 5, 2024 U.S. presidential election. “President Trump has won, and the American people have triumphed. I congratulate them on their victory in an exercise that showed the world the strength of American values,” Marcos ...

    • Pope Francis addresses the crowd from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during the Angelus prayer on October 27, 2024 in The Vatican.
      04 November 2024
      2 weeks ago No comment

      Pope prays for Kristine victims in Philippines

      MANILA, Philippines — Pope Francis has offered prayers for Filipinos affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. At Sunday’s Angelus address at the Vatican, the 87-year-old pontiff reportedly mentioned praying for the victims of Kristine. “I am close to the population of the Philippines, struck by a powerful cyclone. May ...

    • 04 November 2024
      2 weeks ago No comment

      Duterte: no apology, no excuses for drug war

      Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on October 28, 2024 offered no apologies or excuses for his actions as he faced a Senate investigation into his widely criticized bloody war on drugs for the first time. Before reading his prepared statement during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, ...