Edu Manzano says San Juan voters can still vote for him despite disqualification

Actor Edu Manzano questioned the timing of the Commission on Elections' (Comelec) decision to disqualify him from running for congressman of San Juan and alleged that it was an attack from his political rival.

According to a report by Tina Panganiban-Perez in GMA's 24 Oras, Manzano said votes for him would still count because the decision of the Comelec second division was not yet final and executory.

He could still file an appeal before the Comelec en banc and the Supreme Court.

"Bakit ngayon one week before elections? Kung tutuusin ang epekto lang niyan, umaasa silang makakaapekto sa aking kandidatura sa media. It was more [of] a media gimmick," Manzano said.

"Sabi nga nung aking legal counsel, si former Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes that ‘Edu, wala na silang magagawa. Pwede ka pang iboto ng tao,'” he added.

On Monday,  the Comelec Second Division disqualified Manzano because he automatically renounced his Filipino citizenship when he served the United States Armed Forces from 1973 to 1977.

Manzano, on the other hand, said that the Supreme Court has already addressed the issue of his citizenship when he ran for vice mayor of Makati City in 1998.

"The Supreme Court is the highest [court] in the country and there's no way a Comelec decision can overturn a Supreme Court decision," he said.

Further, Manzano said that Sophia Patricia Gil who filed the petition against his candidacy was connected to incumbent San Juan RepresentativeRonaldo Zamora who is seeking re-election.

"Ang nag-file ng petition para i-disqualify o i-cancel ang aking certificate ng kandidatura ay campaign manager ng aking katunggali. Hindi mo hahayaang ang isang campaign manager o isa sa mga nagtatrabaho para sa'yo na gumawa ng isang hakbang na hindi muna idinadaan sa'yo," he said.

Manzano said he will submit a motion for reconsideration to the Comelec.

Meanwhile, Zamora denied that he had a hand in filing the petition against Manzano's candidacy.

He, however, confirmed that Gil was his campaign manager.

"Hindi kailangan ng instruction sa akin. Alam naman nila na hindi dapat tumakbo maski sinong kandidato, maski ako, kung hindi ka qualified," Zamora said.

Gil, on the other hand, refused to comment on the matter. —Dona Magsino/NB, GMA News