DUMAGUETE City – Congressman George Arnaiz of the 2nd District of Negros Oriental slammed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for its delayed decision in disqualifying rival candidate Raul Aniñon from running in the May 10 polls.

Arnaiz said that while Aniñon, indeed, has been disqualified in a recent ruling by the Comelec central office, his name would still appear in the official ballots as these had already been printed before the decision came out.

“It is unfair. His name cannot be removed anymore and is at the top of the list (of four candidates in the 2nd District),” he lamented.

Names of candidates printed on the ballots are in alphabetical order, he said.

According to the congressman, the purpose for his filing the petition for disqualification against Aniñon was to have him declared a nuisance candidate and strike out his name from the ballot.

Aniñon has never campaigned ever since he started running in the 1980s, he said.

“What’s worse now with the automated elections is that even the names of disqualified candidates still appear in the official ballots. And so you are making a mockery of the election process. And there is nothing we can do about it,” Arnaiz added.

Arnaiz had filed his petition in December 2009 but a new ruling by the Comelec requires that all election-related cases this time be leveled to its central office.

After the May polls, and if re-elected into office, Arnaiz said will study possible legislative measures to correct this problem, but only if the country will have a successful automated elections.(PNA)