ANTIQUE – A resident of this province wants Antonio Agapito Legarda Jr., a candidate for congressman and brother of incumbent Rep. Loren Legarda, declared a nuisance candidate.
Salvador Ungsod, a registered voter in Belison town, sought the nullification of Antonio’s certificate of candidacy (COC).
In a petition filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) through his counsel, Atty. Marlon Anthony R. Tonson, Ungsod complained that Antonio’s invocation of “Inday Loren” as his stage name or nickname would “deceive and confuse the voters” as it would make it appear that his sister is the one “running for reelection as Antique representative.”
Antonio is popularly known by his nickname “AA” but in his COC, he stated that his preferred name to appear on the ballot is “Legarda, AA ‘Inday Loren’ NPC”.
Loren is not seeking reelection but a Senate seat.
According to Ungsod, the use of the nickname “Inday Loren” is a violation of Section 74 of the Omnibus Election Code and Comelec Resolution 10717 which states that a candidate may only use the name by which he has been baptized, or if has not been baptized in any church or religion, the name registered in the office of the local civil registrar or any other name allowed under the provisions of existing laws.
“Comelec Resolution 10717 also provides that [an aspirant may include one nick name or stage name by which aspirant is generally or popularly known in their locality; Provided that, no aspirant shall use the nick name or stage name of another. Only one nick name or stage name shall be considered,” the complainant further cited.
Loren’s brother is running against former lawmaker Paolo Javier and Atty. Ade Fajardo, former national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Ungsod complained that Antonio is “putting the election process in mockery or disrepute”.
Other than being the brother of Loren, Antonio “is an unknown in the political scene with no prior political experience as an elective official in Antique,” added Ungson in his petition.
Earlier, Director Wilfred Jay Balisado of Comelec Region 6 opined that candidates’ use or choice of nicknames must be regulated so as not to create confusion.
“Alam naman natin ‘yong nickname natin is mayroon talaga ‘yang pattern sa real name natin. If we use nicknames far from our real names, people might confuse you for some other person,” he said./PN