Not yet time to rejoice

Yesterday, I was starting to write this column and my opening sentence was: “As long as Joselito Cayetano is not declared a nuisance candidate, I will regard Comelec Chair Benjamin Abalos as the hatchet man of Mike Arroyo.”

A few minutes after 12 noon, I got a text message from Comelec spokesman James Arthur Jimenez: “Joselito Cayetano has been disqualified.”

Jimenez said Commissioner Resureccion Borra, in a press conference, announced the decision of the Commission’s first division to declare Joselito Cayetano as a nuisance candidate.

He quoted Commissioner Romeo Brawner as saying, “It was not shown that Joselito Cayetano has the capacity to wage a nationwide campaign.”

The Comelec’s first division didn’t give weight to Joselito’s inclusion in the KBL ticket. They probably took note of the certification of Ilocos Norte Governor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., president of the party, that he never endorsed Joselito.

The Comelec’s decision was a pleasant surprise. Which is ironic because, why would it be a surprise that Joselito was disqualified when it was clear from the very beginning that he didn’t have the capacity to wage a nationwide campaign? Interviews with his relatives and neighbors from Davao revealed that he was not a marine engineer as he claimed in his certificate of candidacy but an occasional worker at the pier. When he left Davao for Manila, he told his relatives that he would be looking for a job.

What a job he got! Senatorial candidate.

But he is one strange candidate because after filing his certificate of candidacy he did not want to be interviewed.

The surprise that many of us felt about Comelec’s disqualification of Joselito shows the pessimism that we have towards the poll body. After Abalos dismissed the “Hello Garci” as tapes as inconclusive proof of the cheating in 2004 and the promotions of those involved in the election fraud, the public was ready for the worst.

That’s why the decision against Joselito was a surprise.

Alan Peter Cayetano, senatorial candidate of the Genuine Opposition, who is the target of Joselito’s candidacy said in a radio interview after learning of the Comelec’s decision, said,”Chairman Abalos should have solved this from the start…but all’s well that ends well.”

Cayetano added: “I heard someone from Malacañang is very angry because of this development and I thank the Comelec for not giving in to pressure.”

The joke is that Joselito’s party is not really KBL (Kilusan Bagong Lipunan) but KFG (Kay First Gentleman).

Mike Arroyo’s hatred of Alan Cayetano, who exposed a multi-million dollar deposit in a German bank allegedly connected to the Arroyos, is no secret. He had tried, but failed, to have Cayetano expelled from the House of Representatives. He is also believed to be behind the issue on Cayetano’s citizenship which is being used as a basis for a disqualification case against Alan.

GO Spokesman Adel Tamano said in Mindanao, where miracles usually occur after election, he was informed by his relatives that the instruction from Manila was to make sure that Cayetano is out and for Team GMA’s Mike Defensor to be in the winning circle.

What is heartening is that, the more Mike Arroyo attacked Cayetano, the more his ratings went up. Before Joselito came into the picture to muddle the “Cayetano” votes, Alan shot up to number four.

Just to show that Joselito’s candidacy was thwarting the will of the people to elect Alan Cayetano to the Senate, Pulse Asia’s survey conducted early this month showed Alan in number 10 with 30.9 per cent five percent of those who give preference to just “Cayetano” not counted. Joselito, most surprisingly got 7.1 percent, higher than Team GMA’s Chavit Singson. If all those Cayetano votes were to be added, Alan would be number two in the list.

Much as we want to rejoice over the disqualification of Joselito Cayetano, we are cautioned by the reality that his name will not yet be stricken out of the list of senatorial candidates that the Comelec would be disseminating because he is still entitled to an appeal.

As a visitor commented in my blog, “Disqualified nga pero nasa listahan pa rin ang pangalan ni Juju at board of elections inspectors ang bahala dumiskarte sa stray votes. So ang nawala lang sa picture ay ang maduming kamay ni Abalos.” (He is disqualified but Juju’s name is still in the list and it’s up to board of election inspectors to decide on the stray votes. So what was just removed was Abalos’ dirty hand.)