THE Supreme Court (SC) on Friday announced its decision reversing a resolution of the Commission on Election that cancelled the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of a city councilor bet in Kalinga province for a seat in the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Tabuk City in the 2025 midterm elections for allegedly misrepresenting his residential address.
The High Tribunal ruled that the omission of a comma in Comafay’s residential address does not constitute material misrepresentation.
It cited Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code which provides that a petition to deny due course or cancel COC may be granted only upon clear proof that a candidate made a false material representation regarding qualifications such as residency, age, or citizenship.
The SC held that the missing comma did not affect Comafay’s qualifications, noting that the omission was harmless because it did not change the meaning of the address or relate to his qualifications.
