Eddie Conde Gil (born February 7, 1944, in Masbate) is a Filipino singer and comedian who attempted to run for President of the Philippines during the 2004 presidential elections. However, he was disqualified from running by the Commission on Elections, citing his inability to begin a national campaign and marking him as a 'nuisance candidate.'[1] Gil appealed his disqualification to the Philippine Supreme Court, where it was upheld. A self-proclaimed billionaire, he promised fellow Filipinos to pay off the national debt with his own finances. But in an embarrassing occurrence in one of his 'campaign sorties' in Mindanao, particularly Cagayan de Oro, Gil wasn't even able to afford the hotel accommodations. Many ridiculed his attempt for the Presidency, linking his involvement in politics merely to promote his upcoming album.[2]

In June 2010, Gil was arrested with 3 others in Mauritius on fraud charges. Gil presented a forged 10 Billion Euro bank guarantee to Investec Bank Mauritius. The false bank guarantee was to be used to solicit a loan.[3] However, in August 2011, the Supreme Court of Mauritius allowed an appeal by Gil and two co-appellants, quashing the original conviction.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Tubeza, Phillip C. (23 April 2004). "Eddie Gil wants SC to cite Comelec for contempt". Philippine Daily Enquirer. p. A2. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  2. ^ Calic, Aurea (27 May 2004). "It's Final: Eddie Gil Disqualified". Manila: Philippine Headline News Online. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2010.
  3. ^ Mauritius. "A Scam of Rs 20 Million Foiled". Archived from the original on 2010-12-05.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ^ Supreme Court Judgement noseweek.co.za