Unseated Basista mayor fails to file MR
BASISTA– It may be only a matter of time before businesswoman Jocelyn Perez officially assumes the mayorship of Basista.
Perez, a businesswoman, cited a “certificate of no” filing secured by her lawyer from the Comelec central office showing that the disqualified mayor, Manolo de Leon, did not file his motion for reconsideration who was given until February 16 to file it.
She, however, said she is not in a hurry to assume the post and opts to wait till the process is completed.
Perez said she is praying there would be no tension in the town when she is finally proclaimed. “Basista has been known to have peaceful elections,” she said.
To support her petition, she submitted a certification and travel records from the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) that stated that “the name De Leon, Manolito Sagun appeared in its records and departed from the Philippines on September 10, 2011 and June 26, 2012 as an American Citizen.”
Her petition was decided by the second division of the Comelec composed of Commissioners Luie Tito F. Guia, Arthur D. Lim and Elias R. Yusoph (presiding). The decision also ordered the disqualification of De Leon “from running and holding local elective position.”
Following the decision of the poll body on Jan. 19, 2015 disqualifying De Leon, the Comelec has directed the reconvening of a special board of canvassers to proclaim Perez as the duly elected mayor of Basista.
Upon learning of the poll body’s decision, De Leon’s supporters briefly held a rally and a barricade in front of the town hall last Feb. 16 to protest the decision but later abandoned their picket line.
In ousting De Leon, the Comelec decision said: “Maquiling (case) teaches us that the candidacy of a person who possessed dual citizenship when he filed his CoC is void. Apparently, the effect is akin to a cancelled CoC. Such person is prohibited from running for local elective office. It is no longer important whether the decision to disqualify became final after the elections as long as the disqualification existed at the time the CoC was filed.” (Leonardo Micua/Tita Roces)
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