Comelec voids proclamation of Marinduque lawmaker
By Sheila
Crisostomo (The Philippine Star) | Updated July 12, 2013 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines -
The Commission on Elections
(Comelec) yesterday invalidated the proclamation of
lawyer Regina Ongsiako Reyes as the winning congresswoman of Marinduque in the
May 13 polls.
“The May 18
proclamation of the respondent, Regina Ongsiako Reyes, is declared null and
void and without any legal force and effect,” the Comelec said in a 19-page
resolution.
Voting 5-2, the
Comelec junked the motion for reconsideration filed by Reyes when its First
Division cancelled her certificate of candidacy after finding that she is an
American citizen and lacked the one-year residency requirement in the
Philippines.
The Comelec ordered
the Provincial Board of Canvassers of Marinduque to proclaim petitioner Lord
Allan Jay Velasco as the representative of the province’s lone district.
The poll body ruled
that the votes obtained by Reyes shall be considered as “stray” votes. Velasco
got 48,396 votes in the congressional race.
Those who voted for
Reyes’ ouster were Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes and Commissioners Lucenito
Tagle, Elias Yusoph, Grace Padaca, and Luie Guia. Opposing the ruling were
Commissioners Christian Lim and Al Parreno.
