SC unseats Palawan vice governor

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court unseated Palawan Vice Governor Clara Espiritu-Reyes for falsely declaring in her certificate of candidacy (COC) that she is a resident of Palawan’s second district when she ran for governor in 2010.

Reyes is the wife of former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes, who is now in hiding after he was charged with murder for the 2011 death of broadcaster Gerry Ortega. 

The SC upheld a Commission on Elections decision invalidating Reyes’s COC for “material misrepresentation” when she stated in her COC that she has established residence in Barangay Tigman, Aborlan in the second district of Palawan.

The Comelec second division ruled on May 5,2010 that Reyes continued to live in Sta. Monica, Puerto Prinsesa City, failing to meet the one-year-residency for candidates. 

Puerto Princesa, considered an independent city, does not vote for provincial candidates. 

She can still appeal the verdict.

Under the Omnibus Election Code, candidates need to establish a one-year residence in the place they are seeking office in.

Reyes, who ran under Lakas-Kampi-CMD, asked the Comelec en banc to reverse the decision of the second division but the en banc affirmed the decision of the second division on July 27, 2010. 

“Accordingly, the resolutions dated 5 May 2010 and 12 July 2010 of the Comelec 2^nd Division and the Comelec En Banc, respectively, are hereby affirmed. The status quo ante order dated 27 July 2010 is hereby lifted,” the SC said.

On the murder case involving the vice governor’s husband Joel, the CA 5th division nullified on Nov 27, 2012 the second panel that found probable cause against Reyes and his brother, Coron Mayor Mario Reyes.

The CA said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima should have ordered the original panel to reinvestigate the case instead of forming a second panel. – Rappler.com