The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has ruled that Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap-Sulit is “ineligible” to hold office for allegedly failing to meet the residency requirement.
In a 12-page decision dated October 22, the Comelec granted the motion for reconsideration filed by petitioners Amado de Leon and Jay-Ar Navarro, overturning the earlier ruling of the Second Division that dismissed the case against Yap-Sulit.
The Second Division had said the petitioners failed to present substantial evidence proving that Yap-Sulit was not a resident of Barangay Tibag, Tarlac City, and ruled that residency issues were not grounds for disqualification but for denial or cancellation of a certificate of candidacy.
However, the en banc said the division misappreciated the evidence, calling its conclusions erroneous and contrary to law. It held that under the Local Government Code, candidates must have resided in the area for at least one year before election day, a condition the petitioners “sufficiently established.”
In a separate case, the Comelec First Division disqualified Cabuyao, Laguna Mayor Dennis Hain for alleged vote-buying during the midterm elections.
The complaint was filed by former vice mayor Leif Opiña, who accused Hain of distributing money to residents during a “Poll Watchers Seminar” held at their family-owned establishment.
Also named in the petition was Hain’s brother, Richard “Dondon” Hain, who ran for Congress but lost. The Comelec dismissed the complaint against him as moot.
In its 19-page decision dated October 23, the poll body ruled in favor of Opiña, citing photos and videos showing people lining up for P1,000 cash and sample ballots.
