The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) will investigate former Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. for filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2022 polls despite being perpetually disqualified from seeking elective posts.
The probe stems from alleged material misrepresentation in his COC.
“The COMELEC will conduct an investigation for possible filing of an election offense case against Prospero A. Pichay Jr. for his alleged commission of material representation in his COC in relation to the 2022 NLE (national and local elections),” said COMELEC spokesman John Rex Laudiangco.
The Supreme Court (SC) on Nov. 11, 2021 “affirmed the perpetual disqualification ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman against Prospero A. Pichay Jr. which has become final and executory on 17 August 2022.”
“The alleged false misrepresentation made by Pichay in his COC was his act of deliberately answering ‘No’ to the question ‘Have you ever been found liable for an offense which carries with it the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office, which has become final and executory?’” the Comelec said.
Laudiangco said the COMELEC en banc has issued a resolution dated April 30 granting the petition of Surigao del Sur 1st District Rep. Romeo Momo to cancel Pichay’s COC.
Because of this, the votes Pichay got during the 2022 NLE are considered stray votes.
The Office of the Ombudsman penalized Pichay with perpetual disqualification to hold public office over the alleged unlawful investment made by Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to a thrift bank in 2009 amounting to P780 million when he was head of the agency.