THE National Unity Party has said it expects the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hold a special election to fill up the vacancy for Antipolo City Second District following the death of Rep. Romeo Acop.
Acop, an NUP stalwart, died of heart attack last Sunday at 78.
NUP secretary general Reginald Velasco cited “constitutional and statutory bases for the conduct of a special election to fill Acop’s unexpired term.”
“The constitutional basis for a special election is found in Article VI, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides: ‘In case of vacancy in the Senate or in the House of Representatives, a special election may be called to fill such vacancy in the manner prescribed by law, but the Senator or Member of the House of Representatives thus elected shall serve only for the unexpired term,’” Velasco said.
He said “the vacancy date is understood to be 20 December 2025, based on press reports and official announcements.”
Acop was elected to a fresh, three-year term in the House of Representatives during the last May elections. His term in the current 20th Congress began on June 30, 2025.
“The operative statutory rule governing House vacancies is found in Section 4 of Republic Act No. 7166, which provides: ‘In case a permanent vacancy shall occur in the Senate or House of Representatives at least one (1) year before the expiration of the term, the Commission on Elections shall call and hold a special election to fill the vacancy not earlier than sixty (60) days nor longer than ninety (90) days after the occurrence of the vacancy.” Velasco said.
“Under this provision, where the vacancy occurs at least one (1) year before the end of the term, the special election is not discretionary. Comelec is required to call and hold the election within the statutory period,” he added.
“Applying the statutory timetable to the vacancy date of 20 December 2025, the earliest permissible date for the special election on the 60th day is 18 February 2026 (Wednesday), while the latest permissible date on the 90th day is 20 March 2026 (Friday). (Republic Act No. 7166, Sec. 4),” he said.
