Sultan Kudarat governor’s son to argue disqualification case before SC

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto Mangudadatu’s son, Pax Ali, will go to the Supreme Court (SC) and question the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc decision that canceled his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the gubernatorial post due to a residency issue.

“Tuloy ang laban (The fight goes on),” said lawyer Cyrus Torreña, adding that they were preparing to seek a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the High Tribunal.

The Comelec en banc, in a decision on Monday, May 2, denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Pax Ali in connection with its 1st Division’s decision in January that rejected his COC in the January ruling. The Comelec division canceled Pax Ali’s COC in a vote of four against two.

Pax Ali is the standard-bearer of Lakas-Christian-Muslim Democrat, a party that supports the Uniteam ticket of presidential bet former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Torreña asserted that the decision of the Comelec en banc was “not final and executory,” and therefore, he would proceed with his gubernatorial bid.

He said until the SC rules on it with finality, votes cast for the younger Mangudadatu would not be considered stray.

Pax Ali’s candidacy is being challenged by Sharifa Akeel Mangudadatu, wife of Maguindanao 2nd District Representative Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu and the standard-bearer in Sultan Kudarat of the Aksyon Demokratiko.

Toto and Pax Ali’s father Suharto are cousins who are fighting each other’s families in the bid to dominate the political leadership in Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao provinces.

Suharto’s wife Mariam is seeking reelection as Maguindanao governor and is being challenged by Toto who held the position before he was elected as congressman of the province.

Sharifa, a former beauty queen, and two others – Azel Mangudadatu and Ali Untong – were the ones who filed petitions against Pax Ali, arguing that he misrepresented himself in his COC when he stated that Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat, was his place of residence for one year and eight months at the time of filing in October 2021.

The petitioners argued that what Pax Ali stated cannot be true because he remained as the mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao province.

Pax Ali said he was mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki when he filed his COC, but resigned “to re-establish” his domicile in Sultan Kudarat.

But the Comelec en banc said the Commission’s 1st Division made the right decision to cancel Pax Ali’s COC.

The law requires that a candidate must be a resident of a locality where he or she is seeking office for at least one year before election day. 

In the May 2 ruling, election commissioners Marlon Casquejo and Aimee Torrefranca-Neri cast dissenting votes while commissioner George Garcia inhibited himself from the case. 

One of the parties was once his client, according to Garcia. – Rappler.com

Rommel Rebollido is a Mindanao-based journalist and an awardee of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship