Latest news with #Eleksyon2025
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec disqualifies Anarna as Silang, Cavite mayor
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.
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
House waiting for 5 seats to be filled —SecGen
There are still five seats in the House to be filled after the disqualification of the Duterte Youth Partylist, and the suspension of the proclamation of two congressional winners, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said. Tina Panganiban Perez/GMA Integrated News The House of Representatives is awaiting the final ruling of the Commission on Elections on cases filed against several potential members of the House in the 20th Congress. House Secretary General Reginald Velasco told reporters on Thursday that there are still five seats in the House to be filled after divisions of the Comelec ruled to cancel the Duterte Youth Partylist, which received enough votes for three seats, and suspended the proclamation of winners in Marikina and Benguet. 'Yun na lang hinihintay namin, yung tatlong nominees ng Duterte Youth [That's what we're waiting for the three nominees of Duterte Youth]. And then pending pa rin [still are] two congressional districts. One is in Marikina… And Comelec is resolving this. So, no congressman has been proclaimed yet in the district. The same in the case of Benguet. We're still waiting for Comelec to proclaim the winner. So bale lima pa yung pending [So there are five seats pending],' Velasco said. A Comelec division also ruled to cancel the certificate of candidacy of Luis Chua Uy, who had been proclaimed as the duly elected representative of Manila 6th district. Uy ran against incumbent Representative Bienvenido Abante who filed a petition questioning Uy's citizenship. The Comelec 2nd division ruled Abante is the district's duly elected representative. 'We're waiting for the resolution of Comelec. Kailangan kasi en banc yon [Because it has to be an en banc decision]. The en banc should proclaim the actual winner. And then once we get this proclamation, we can accept Congressman Abante as the duly elected member of Congress in that district,' Velasco said. Velasco also disclosed that the House had already issued Uy a certification that he is a member of the House and a welcome kit. 'Because the only requirements we have, dalawa lang eh [are two]: proclamation from Comelec and oath of office,' Velasco said. He added that both had been done in Uy's case. Velasco also said that the House in the 20th Congress will be composed of 317 members, 96 of whom are neophytes or first termers. The first termers are scheduled to attend an executive course where they will learn, among others, the legislative process and the Rules of the House of Representatives. They have been divided into two batches, with the first batch scheduled to attend on June 23 to 25 while the second batch is scheduled on July 7 to 9. — BM, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Benny Abante declared as winner of Manila's 6th district
The Commission on Elections Second Division has declared Bienvenido 'Benny' Abante as the duly elected Representative of the 6th District of Manila in Eleksyon 2025. This came after the poll body's division had voided the certificate of candidacy of Luis 'Joey' Chua Uy, whose proclamation was deemed 'annulled.' In its 22-page ruling, the poll body stated that Uy was considered as a non-candidate and his certificate of candidacy was void ab initio. 'Accordingly, the votes cast in his favor are considered stray and should have not been counted,' the ruling said. 'Respondent's proclamation should thus be annulled leaving petitioner the only qualified candidate who obtained the highest number of votes for the position of member, House of Representatives in the 6th District of the City of Manila,' it added. —VAL, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comebacking Senator Kiko takes oath before SC Justice Leonen
Senator-elect Francis Pangilinan, who won his fourth Senate six-year term in the May 2025 polls, took his oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen on Wednesday. In a statement, Pangilinan said he was thankful for his hard fought poll victory which is also a reminder for him to continue to always stand for the benefit of Filipinos. 'Lubos ang pasasalamat natin sa Diyos, sa taumbayan, at sa lahat ng tumaya at kumilos para sa tagumpay ng kampanyang ito. Ang panunumpang ito ay hindi lamang simbolo ng tagumpay. Isa itong paalala ng tungkuling dapat gampanan: makinig, maglingkod, at manindigan para sa bawat Pilipinong nangangarap ng mas maayos na bukas,' Pangilinan, a lawyer, said. (I am thankful to the Lord, my countrymen and to those who took part in this victorious campaign. This oath not only symbolizes victory. This serves as a reminder of the tasks ahead — listen, serve and stand firm for every Filipino who is dreaming of a better tomorrow.) 'Hindi madali ang landas patungo rito, pero sa awa ng Diyos at sa lakas ng taumbayan, ang imposible ay naging posible. Maraming salamat sa tiwala. Para sa pagkain, para sa pagkakaisa, para sa Pilipino,' he added. (The road going here was not easy, but with the grace of God and the strength of our countrymen, the impossible became possible. Thank you for the trust. For food, for unity for the Filipino.) Pangilinan, who was barely at the tailend of the top 12 winning circle in preelection surveys, ultimately zoomed to fifth place by garnering over 15.2 million votes. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Comelec deletes Eleksyon 2025 files
The Commission on Elections (Comele) on Tuesday deleted the data files containing the ballot faces used in the recent 2025 national and local elections (NLE) on its database. Commissioner Rey Bulay, commissioner-in-charge for the Committee on Ballot Printing, led the deletion of the data in the servers of the National Printing Office (NPO) in Quezon City. 'Today, tinatapos na natin ng huling procedure ng ating printing process. Ang tawag dito ay deletion ng files,' Bulay told reporters. (We are concluding today the last procedure for the printing process for the 2025 NLE. This is the file deletion.) 'Lahat ng soft copies ng ballot faces, bawat mukha ng papel na in-isssue namin tulad ng official ballots, VIS, ginamit sa final testing and sealing, mga reprints, ay ine-erase natin sa database servers ng Comelec para zero lahat at di magagamit,' he said. (We will delete all the soft copies of the ballot faces and the papers we issued, such as the official ballots, VIS, final testing and sealing, and reprints.) The process is part of the Comelec's transparency measures and is in compliance with the Data Protection Act, he added. 'Bilang pagsunod, ang Commision en banc ay nag-approve ng prosesong ito noong May in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Ito ang aming pagsunod at pag-comply,' said Bulay. (In compliance with the Data Protection Act, the Comelec en banc approved this process in May.) Last month, the Comelec started the destruction of 6.7 million unused official ballots and accountable forms printed for NLE. The poll body completed the printing of over 68 million ballots for the 2025 May polls after the process hit a snag in January following the Supreme Court's (SC) issuance of temporary restraining orders (TROs) against the disqualification of some aspirants for the upcoming elections. The Comelec deputized the NPO in January, allowing the use of the latter's four printing machines and two machines procured by Miru Systems Inc. to ensure the "proper, satisfactory, and timely" completion of the reprinting of the official ballots for the elections. The Philippines held its midterm elections on May 12. —VAL, GMA Integrated News For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.
