logo
Comelec disqualifies Anarna as Silang, Cavite mayor

Comelec disqualifies Anarna as Silang, Cavite mayor

GMA Network19-06-2025
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has disqualified and annulled the proclamation of Alston Kevin Anarna as mayor of Silang, Cavite in Eleksyon 2025.
This developed after the poll body en banc granted a motion for reconsideration (MR) filed by former Silang Mayor Ted Carranza, which seeks to reverse a ruling of the Comelec First Division, dismissing the petition for disqualification he lodged against Anarna.
Carranza filed the disqualification petition on the grounds of a October 2024 decision of the Ombudsman, dismissing Anarna from public office for grave misconduct and serious dishonesty. It also perpetually disqualified him from holding public office.
In his MR, the former mayor prayed for the reversal of the assailed order, explaining he failed to copy furnish the respondent with the copy of the petition due to inadvertence of the firm's newly hired personnel. Carranza also argued the Comelec can motu proprio bar a candidate suffering from perpetual disqualification and delist as a candidate of the May midterm polls.
'To permit a candidate who is administratively disqualified to run for office would render the constitutional and statutory sanctions imposed by the Ombudsman inutile, effectively frustrating the ends of administrative discipline and making a mockery of the electoral process,' the five-page decision reads.
'It bears emphasis that Comelec, as a constitutional commission, is duty-bound to protect the sanctity of elections and ensure that only qualified and eligible individuals are allowed to run for public office,' it added.
The Comelec en banc ordered the disqualification and voiding of Anarna's proclamation and directed the votes cast in his favor to be considered as stray. It also instructed the Municipal Board of Canvassers to reconvene and proclaim the winning candidate.
'Gross violation of constitutional right'
Lawyer Emil Marañon, legal counsel of Anarna, said their camp will file a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse the decision, which he said is a 'gross violation' of this constitutional right to due process of Anarna.
Marañon said their camp allegedly did not receive any notice of the suit, summon, and answer from the Comelec.
'This is of course not only vulgarly illegal, but a gross violation of the constitutional right to due process of Mayor Anarna. In fact, this procedural travesty has never ever happened in the history of the Comelec,' he said.
'That while we are still in the process of studying this case, it appears that the case has been based on the equally erroneous Joint Decision of the Office of the Ombudsman dated October 9, 2024 in the consolidated cases docketed as OMB-C-A-APR-24-0025, OMB-C-A-APR-24-0026 and OMB-C-A-JUN-24-0053 which remains non-final to this day, and still pending resolution before the Court of Appeals. Obviously, candidates can be 'disqualified' only on the basis of a final decision,' said Marañon.
He added: 'Definitely, we will elevate this case to the Supreme Court by way of a Petition for Certiorari and we are very confident that this will easily be reversed.' — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Asian poll observers urge update of PH Election Code, flag 'systemic issues'
Asian poll observers urge update of PH Election Code, flag 'systemic issues'

GMA Network

timea day ago

  • GMA Network

Asian poll observers urge update of PH Election Code, flag 'systemic issues'

An international observer from the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) watches as Filipino staff conduct a random manual audit of ballots in Eleksyon 2025 on Thursday, May 15, 2025. Courtesy: ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections/ Facebook The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) launched Thursday its final election observation report for Eleksyon 2025, stressing the impact of "systemic issues," such vote-buying and political dynasties, that undermine the country's electoral integrity. The international poll observers reported their key findings and proposed a two-part reform roadmap for the Philippine elections, including short-term and long-term actions such as: strengthening of crowd management enhancing of voting accessibility conducting a full nationwide and more realistic mock elections ensuring transparency in all activities of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Meanwhile, long-term actions include the ANFREL's call for the review and amendment of the Omnibus Election Code, particularly the elimination of outdated provisions; update of definitions of electoral offenses and enforcement procedures; and incorporation of provisions for automation, digital security, and online campaign regulation. The European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission, which also sent a delegation to the Philippines to observe the conduct of Eleksyon 2025, had also called for updates to the Omnibus Election Code, saying nearly half of its provisions were already outdated. ANFREL also urged for the institutionalization of the Comelec Vulnerable Sectors Office (VSO) and Political Finance Affairs Department (PFAD), as well as the banning of political dynasties. The final report said, "ANFREL concludes that while the 2025 elections were generally well-administered, deep-rooted structural challenges continue to compromise the credibility and competitiveness of the electoral process." "Sustained reforms, particularly in campaign finance, party-list regulation, and abuse of state resources, are essential to strengthening electoral integrity and fostering democratic accountability in the Philippines," it said. The report added: "ANFREL calls for continued engagement between COMELEC, civil society, and political stakeholders to address these issues and ensure more inclusive, competitive, and transparent elections in the future." In its interim report released last May, ANFREL flagged the abuse of state resources and vote-buying as "disturbing factors" in the recent midterm polls. It also raised the need to expand the coverage of the Comelec Committee on Kontra Bigay to include the "ayuda" or cash dole outs to "level the playing field." The Philippines held its midterm elections on May 12. — VDV, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.

GSIS chief Veloso placed under preventive suspension by Ombudsman
GSIS chief Veloso placed under preventive suspension by Ombudsman

GMA Network

time4 days ago

  • GMA Network

GSIS chief Veloso placed under preventive suspension by Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman has placed Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President Jose Arnulfo 'Wick' Veloso and six other officials under preventive suspension without pay for six months amid its probe on the P1.4 billion deal with Alternergy. In an Order dated July 11, the Ombudsman said it 'found sufficient grounds' to place Veloso and six other GSIS officials under a six-month preventive suspension 'considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt' of possible grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and violation of reasonable office rules and regulations over the P1.4 billion stock purchase from AlterEnergy Holdings Corporation. 'The [Ombudsman's Results of Investigation] expounded that the provisions [of the GSIS Investment Policy Guidelines] were contravened by the respondents because: the Perpetual Preferred Shares were not listed with the PSE (Philippine Stock Exchange) on the dates of the execution of the agreement and the payment of the subscription, the investment was non-compliant with the Minimum Market Capitalization and exceeded the Free Float Market Capitalization Cap,' the Ombudsman said. Likewise, the Ombudsman said that the P1.4 billion worth of preferred shares were purchased by GSIS without the necessary endorsement from the Assets and Liabilities Committee (ALCO) and the Risk Oversight Committee (ROC) for the approval of the Board of Trustees (BOT). 'Their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them. [The suspension order is being issued] in order to preserve documents and evidence pertaining to this case which they have control and custody; and in order to avoid respondents' commission of further malfeasance and/or misfeasance in office,' the Ombudsman said. GMA News Online has reached out to Veloso for comment but he has yet to reply as of posting time. Meanwhile, the Ombudsman said the GSIS officials can appeal the suspension, although its immediate implementation cannot be interrupted. —VAL, GMA Integrated News

Imee Marcos eyes new Omnibus Election Code
Imee Marcos eyes new Omnibus Election Code

GMA Network

time18-07-2025

  • GMA Network

Imee Marcos eyes new Omnibus Election Code

Voters fill out their ballots at Silang Central Elementary School in Silang, Cavite on Monday, May 12, 2025, for the midterm national and local elections. SANDRA AGUINALDO/ GMA Integrated News Senator Imee Marcos has filed a measure seeking to revise and recodify all the election statutes, paving the way for the New Omnibus Election Code of 2025. In the explanatory note of Senate Bill 425, Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people's participation, said certain provisions of the 1985 Omnibus Election Code are "outrightly ill-suited for modern times." "The [OEC] is well more than three decades old. Since the inception of the OEC, there have been many significant changes in the manner by which elections are conducted," the senator said. "Likewise, regulations and limitations under the OEC have since been proven inadequate to realistically ensure a more level-playing field for candidates," she added. In 2023, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) finished a 964-page draft of proposed amendments to the Omnibus Election Code, according to poll chairman George Garcia. He said the proposed revisions include provisions on the overhaul of the party-list system and changes in campaign finance. The European Union (EU) Election Observation Mission, which sent a delegation to monitor Eleksyon 2025, said in its report that nearly half of the provisions of the Omnibus Election Code, including those for campaign finance and election offenses, are already "outdated." Those provisions, the report said, were already superseded by the 1987 Constitution and by numerous subsequent laws and regulations. BSKE term of office Under Marcos' bill, the Comelec shall have exclusive charge of enforcement and administration of all laws and regulations to the conduct of election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, and recall for the purpose of ensuring free orderly and honest elections. The measure also provides for the conduct of a hybrid election system—a combination of the automated election system and the manual election system—to ensure transparency and credibility of the electoral processes. This hybrid election system shall be applicable to the May 2028 elections and all national, local, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) polls thereafter. The bill also stated that the term of office of all elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) officials shall be four years. The BSKE elections will be held on the first Monday of November 2026 and every four years thereafter. No elective barangay official shall also serve for more than three consecutive terms in the same positions, while no elective SK official shall serve for more than one term in the same post. Party-list, substitution The bill also classified the party-list system into: a) political parties or coalition of political parties; and b) sectoral parties or organizations. Each of these classifications shall have 50% of the seats allocated for the party-list. Each registered party, organization, or coalition shall submit to the Comelec a list of names of not less than five nominees from which party-list representatives shall be chosen in case it obtains the required number of votes, together with the certificates of nomination and acceptance of all the nominees in such list. Substitution shall also be allowed for any nominee who dies, becomes physically incapacitated, or has been disqualified. "No substitution shall be allowed for nominees who withdrew their acceptance to the nomination. In the event the list of nominees of a party-list group is exhausted because of the withdrawal of all its nominees, such party, organization, or coalition shall be deemed to have withdrawn its manifestation of intent to participate in the elections," the bill noted. Only a person belonging to and nominated by the same political party may file a certificate of candidacy to replace any official candidate who died, became incapacitated, or was disqualified after the last day of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs). In all cases of substitution after the period for filing of COCs, the substitute candidate must have the same surname as the candidate being substituted for. Cha-cha The proposed measure also states that a petition for an initiative on the 1987 Constitution must have at least 12% of the total number of registered voters as signatories, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least 3% of the registered voters. Initiative on the Constitution may also be exercised only once every five years. So far in the 20th Congress, only Senator Robin Padilla has filed a resolution seeking to revise the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines through a constitutional convention. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store