MARIKINA city mayor Marcelino Teodoro yesterday said political maneuvering of his rivals in the city’s first congressional district is allegedly behind the move to disqualify him from running in the 2025 local elections.
“The fact that two petitions were filed against me shows that there are political underpinnings that is geared towards my removal from the electoral race. I will not allow this to happen and will exhaust all legal remedies available to me,” Teodoro said in a statement.
He likewise said he is still considered as a “legitimate” candidate in the congressional race, pointing out that the decision of the Comelec 1st division to cancel his certificate of candidacy is still not yet final and executory.
“I will file a motion for reconsideration, and I have five days from today within which to do so. The resolution is not yet final and for all intents and purposes, I am still a legitimate candidate for member of the House of Representatives of the first district of Marikina,” he said.
He said that according to the rules promulgated by the Comelec, particularly Comelec Resolution No. 11046, “a motion to reconsider a resolution of a division can be filed within five days from receipt thereof and the filing of the motion for reconsideration suspends the execution for implementation of the resolution.”
The Comelec first division canceled Teodoro’s COC as it granted the petition of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and other petitioners who raised the residency issue against him.
But Teodoro said that the Election Registration Board (ERB) of the first district of Marikina has upheld the transfer of his voter’s registration and application for transfer.
“It is worth noting that the purpose of the residency requirement is to prevent a stranger or a newcomer who is unacquainted with the conditions and needs of a community and not identified with such community from seeking an elective office to serve the constituents of that community,” he said.
“In my case, no less than the first division of the Comelec affirmed that I am not a stranger or newcomer in the first district of Marikina and they also acknowledged that I was born there and even served as the first representative of the 1st congressional district of Marikina. They also found nothing wrong with my change of voter registration and residence from one district to another,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Comelec yesterday ordered the proclamation of Maria Camille L. Ilagan as the representative of the Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente, at Persons With Disabilities (P3PWD) party-list in the 19th Congress.
In its Minute Resolution No. 24-0986, the Comelec en banc ordered the issuance of a Certificate of Proclamation to Ilagan, who is the first nominee of the P3PWD party-list.
“Resolved to issue Certificate of Proclamation in favor of Maria Camille L. Ilagan as P3PWD’s Representative in the House of Representatives 19th Congress,” it said.
The decision comes after the P3PWD submitted its new set of nominees as earlier ordered by the Supreme Court.
The five new nominees are Ilagan (1st), Lily Grace A. Tiangco (2nd), Marianne Heidi C. Fullon (3rd), Dylan Romulo C. Santos (4th), and Bernadine T. Montelibano (5th).
Last month, the SC ordered the party-list group to submit a new set of nominees to the Comelec.
To recall, the P3PWD received 391,174 votes in the May 2022 polls to earn one seat in the 19th Congress. – With Gerard Naval
