Camarines Norte Governor Edgardo Tallado and wife Josefina听file their COCs at the Comelec to run for provincial governor and听representative of the first district of Camarines Norte,听respectively. INQUIRER Southern Luzon file photo / Stephanie Florida
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Supreme Court reversed the Commission on Elections鈥� (Comelec) decision that disqualified Edgardo Tallado from joining the recent gubernatorial election in Camarines Norte.
The decision of the high court was released after an 8-6 affirmative votes were made during an en banc session held on September 10.听
The decision was penned by Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin. His decision was concurred in by Associate Justices Diosdado M. Peralta, Alexander G. Gesmundo, Andres B. Reyes, Jr., Jose C. Reyes, Jr., Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Henry Jean Paul B. Inting, and Rodil V. Zalameda.
Meanwhile, Justices Francis H. Jardeleza, Antonio T. Carpio, Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, Marvic F. Leonen, Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, and Rosmari D. Carandang dissented.
It could be recalled that Comelec earlier disqualified Tallado to run due to questionable years of service as governor of Camarines Norte.
Comelec said that if the certificate of candidacy of Tallado would be granted, he will already be on his 4th term as governor. The law limits governors to only three consecutive terms.
However, Tallado was suspended from office in 2015 and was reinstated only after three years or in 2018.
With this, Tallado took his case to the Supreme Court questioning the decision of the Comelec and insisting that he is still eligible to run 听for the May 2019 polls.
Tallado won as the governor of Camarines Norte after garnering 149,002 votes against his rival Cathy Barcelona-Reyes who had 104,635 votes.
asked the Comelec for comment regarding the decision of the Supreme Court but spokesman James Jimenez said that it has not yet received a copy of the full decision.
鈥淲ala pa kaming natatanggap na official copy. We鈥檒l hold off commenting until then,鈥� Jimenez said in a text message.听/jpv
READ: Camarines Norte gov wins third term