Comelec denies plea of slain Kalinga official’s wife to run

TABUK. Kalinga – The Commission on Elections has denied a plea of the wife of slain Kalinga Gubernatorial candidate Vice Gov. Rommel Diasen to let her be her husband’s substitute candidate for the May 14 elections.

Floyd Diasen, wife of Vice Gov. Diasen who was gunned down on Black Saturday, has requested the Comelec office in Kalinga to allow her to take her husband’s place and run for governor of Kalinga.

But Kalinga election supervisor Thomas Uyam said Ms Diasen couldn’t be the substitute of her husband because Comelec rules do not allow substitution for independent candidates like Vice Gov. Diasen.

Comelec records showed the late Diasen, though earlier reported as Lakas-CMD member, then as a Partido ng Masang Pilipino candidate, was actually running as an independent in the coming polls.

With the Comelec’s denial of her plea, police said they were concerned violence could erupt if Ms Diasen was not allowed to run for governor.

Uyam said Section 14 of Comelec resolution 799, prohibits any substitution for independent candidates.

The Comelec officials also clarified even if Vice Gov. Diasen was running under a political party, the filing for the petition for a substitute candidate had expired.

According to Uyam, employees of the Comelec office in Kalinga accepted the formal petition of Ms Diasen.

Uyam said he was not in the office when the petition was filed. “Maybe they (Comelec employees) did not know,” Uyam said.

Uyam said he would explain to the Diasen family that election laws do not allow Ms Diasen to be the substitute candidate of her slain husband.