ATIENZA NOT A LIBERAL PARTY BET - COMELEC

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has crushed the delusions of former Environment Secretary Jose "Lito" Atienza that he is still a member of the Liberal Party.

The Comelec has ruled that Atienza could not run under the banner of a Liberal Party-Atienza wing because such a political party was not registered with the Commission.

The poll body instead declared Atienza as an independent mayoralty candidate in the city of Manila and listed incumbent Mayor Alfredo "Fred" Lim as the party's official candidate.

In the Certified List of Candidates for Congressional and Local Positions" for NCR-Manila, Atienza was listed as an independent candidate. Other mayoralty bets in Manila, aside from Atienza and Lim, are Onofre Estrada Abad (Ind.), Ma. Teresita Hizon (Ind.), Matilde Limbre (Ind.) and Avelino Razon (NPC). The Supreme Court ruled in April 17, 2007 in favor of the leadership of then Senate President Franklin Drilon as LP president, upheld the Daza-Drilon amendments to the LP Constitution, and declared the rump elections of the "Atienza Wing" as null and void. Atienza tried to take over the party leadership after Sen. Mar Roxas, along with other party leaders, left the Arroyo administration after the disclosure of the President Arroyo's involvement in the "Hello Garci" election cheating scandal.