Mayor Lucilo Bayron said he was not surprised by the decision of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Second Division to dismiss the disqualification case filed against him and his candidacy in the May 12 elections for lack of merit.
Bayron said he already expected the ruling to favor him, explaining that his lawyers had assured him early on, which gave him the confidence to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for his final term as city mayor.
“Alam ko madi-dismiss ‘yun kaya nga malakas ang loob ko mag-file [COCO] dahil kung natatakot ako na mamaya ay ma-disqualify ako, hindi ako tatakbo. Pero, siguradong-sigurado ako. Siniguro talaga ng maraming lawyers na wala kang [ako] problema dyan,” Bayron said.
He also said he was thankful because his four-month suspension turned out to be a “blessing in disguise,” he added.
Bayron said his four-month suspension from office, which led to his temporary replacement, eventually worked to his advantage.
He viewed the episode as a turning point that proved the accusations against him had no legal basis. He added that his opponents should focus on filing cases with real merit, as the previous one lacked substance.
No political plans yet for the next election, he said, adding he wants to focus on his duties as mayor for now.
“Wala pang plano [2028] at ang plano ko lang ay magretiro. Kasi sinasabi ko, ganador na ako eh. Lalaban pa ako, mamaya nadapa ako e di talunan ako, ayoko na mangyari ‘yun,” he said.
