COMELEC Employee Leaks Lists of Nuisance Candidates, Erap No. 1

12/11/2014 – Manila | The upcoming 2016 Presidential election is one of the most talked elections in recent memory. It is still too early to tell but candidates and supporters alike are already preparing for the said event, and different propaganda from different camps arises here and there.

According to Nelson, a government employee who has been working with COMELEC Main Office in Intramuros Manila, in the last 16 years, at least a dozen candidates and lobbyists are visiting the office daily.

Nelson (not his real name because he don’t want to be identified) said that these people are trying to influence the agency by any means. Most prominent people who visits the agency for at least once a month are presidential candidates.

There are 10 people who have shown their interest according to Nelson but only five of these politicians are considered contenders by COMELEC. The other five are considered nuisance candidates.

The candidates considered “serious contenders” by COMELEC according to Nelson are

Candidates Considered Serious Contenders

1. Pres. Benigno Aquino III
2. DILG Sec. Manuel Roxas
3. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago
4. VP. Jejomar Binay
5. Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Candidates Considered Nuisance according to Nelson

1. Mayor Joseph Estrada
2. Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla
3. Sen. Antonio Trillanes III
4. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano
5. Sen. Grace Poe

Every election day, COMELEC identify several nuisance candidates. “Nuisance” means annoying, causing trouble or inconvenience, and someone who should not be taken seriously.

“COMELEC uses advance statistics to identify whether a candidate is nuisance or serious contender. The main factor is survey results. If the top 3 or 5 candidates have clear advantage in at least 6 survey results by different bodies, a candidate then can be declared as nuisance”, Nelson said.

This might be an unwelcoming news to candidates who are listed as “nuisance candidates” above, but it might also unwelcoming to voters if there are too many candidates who they think doesn’t even deserve to run.

See Also: Philippines to Experience Loneliest Christmas Ever, Courtesy of Estrada

/Fanny Jalacjac/ Assisted Press Manila

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