Barred Philippine candidate rejoins race

President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo's election hopes got another shot in the arm yesterday when the Supreme Court allowed a disqualified candidate to resume campaigning for the presidency.

The reappearance of Eddie Gil could spoil the campaign of televangelist Eduardo Villanueva, more popularly known as 'Brother Eddie'. The fact that both candidates have the same first names could confuse voters, dividing the ballots or nullifying them altogether.

It would greatly weaken Mr Villanueva, who has portrayed himself as 'the moral alternative' to Mrs Arroyo.

Two days ago Mrs Arroyo's chances for winning the election got a boost when candidate Raul Roco announced he was leaving for the US to have is back pain treated. Analysts see it as a pullout and expect his supporters to switch to Mrs Arroyo.

When the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified Mr Gil a few weeks ago, it called him a 'nuisance candidate' with no capability to finance a nationwide campaign for the presidency.

Mr Gil, running on a promise to pay off all the country's debts, had left a string of unpaid hotel bills behind in his campaign sorties.