Comelec has yet to act on Aga’s voter’s registration

Aga Muhlach takes his oath as a new member of the Liberal Party before LP President Mar Roxas as another actor and his wife Charlene Gonzalez, fellow LP inductee Cesar Montano and LP leaders watch with approval. – Photo courtesy of INTERAKSYON

NAGA CITY: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to approve the application of the voter’s registration of movie actor Aga Muhlach and his wife in San Jose, CamSur even as he gears up to face a 105-year-old political dynasty in the fifth district of the province.

Alexander Marpuri, spokesperson of the Comelec provincial office in Camarines Sur, revealed that the Comelec’s Election Registration Board (ERB) in San Jose failed to decide on the voter’s registration of Aga Muhlach, Ariel Aquino Muhlach in real life, since he and wife Charlene Gonzales registered in San Jose, CamSur on March 19.

Marpuri narrated that Muhlach’s and wife Charlene Gonzales’ applications to register as voters of San Jose town were objected to by several petitioners and the ERB members failed to act on them until the Comelec in Manila assigned Perfecto Llansa, erstwhile election officer of Garchitorena town, replacing Imelda Añonuevo as election officer of San Jose town.

 “But three days before the new ERB chair of San Jose and its members could take up the case of Aga and wife Charlene, his (Llansa’s) appointment as chair was recalled,” he said.

Marpuri said the Comelec in CamSur is waiting for instruction coming from Manila who will be the chairman of ERB in San Jose to continue the hearing on the pending application of Aga and Charlene.

 “The applications of Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales as voters of San Jose are not approved yet,” he said.

He disclosed that the Comelec has scheduled to convene the ERB in San Jose on Aug. 20 but they still have to ask the Comelec office in Manila if the voter’s application of Aga and Charlene will be deliberated upon.

Marpuri said the ERB will deliberate and approve the voter’s applications for the period April-June 2012 in San Jose which does not include Aga’s and Charlene’s voter’s application which covered the period January-March 2012.

Daring to face the 105-year-old political clan of the Fuentebellas in CamSur in the 2013 midterm elections, Muhlach announced his intention to run as congressman in the Partido District of Camarines Sur, when he was sworn in as member of the Liberal Party last Aug 3.

The oldest political clan in CamSur Muhlach is facing was established by lawyer Jose Fuentebella, coinciding with the foundation of the Nacionalista Party (NP) on March 15, 1907, in which the lawyer was a founding member of the executive committee with then President Manuel L Quezon and Vice- President Sergio Osmeña Sr, according to retired University of the Philippines Prof Lilia T. Realubit in a book about Jose Fuentebella published in 2004.

Realubit is a retired professor of the English and Comparative Literature Department of the University of the Philippines, author of several books on literature and history, and a recipient of Manila Critics Circle’s National Book Award for Drama in 1987. 

According to her, Jose Fuentebella’s political career spanning seven presidents, from Quezon to Ferdinand E Marcos, was the first-generation of the political clan. 

She said the present Fuentebellas who are in power in the Partido district of the province comprise the second and third generations led by Jose’s youngest brother Felix, who became congressman for 19 years, from 1953-1972, and governor, from 1976-1980.

Arnulfo, son of Felix, entered politics in 1978 as assemblyman during the Marcos martial law regime, endured hiatus in politics when he was defeated in his re-election bid as assemblyman, but made a comeback in 1992 as congressman. 

When he finished his three terms of being congressman, his son Wimpy replaced him for one term from 2001-2004.

Arnulfo made another comeback in Congress in 2004, while Wimpy ran and lost to Gov. Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte. Serving his last term as congressman of Partido, Arnulfo is fielding Wimpy again in the congressional race in 2013.

In an earlier interview, Muhlach traced his roots to his deceased grandmother Concepcion Go-Amador Borja Muhlach who was born in Goa, CamSur in 1917.

He further traced his bloodline in Partido to the Abundabars, the Romeros, the Lozadas, the Valeras, and the Callejas.

On April 12, the Muhlachs held their reunion at a resort in Goa, CamSur which was attended by his wife Charlene Gonzales, father Cheng, aunt Amalia Fuentes, sister Arlene, Niño Muhlach, couple Liezl and Albert Martinez, Gov LRay and several other local officials and political leaders.

Muhlach’s lawyers said that the movie star couple had been residing in a leased house in Rizal St, Barangay San Juan, San Jose, CamSur starting August 2011.

On April 16, a group of Fuentebella’s political allies led by former San Jose Mayor Gil Pacamarra and 14 petitioners questioned the residency of Muhlach before the municipal ERB, which is at least six months before the elections. – Bicol Mail