(UPDATED) The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has dismissed the petition of former Puerto Princesa mayor Edward Hagedorn to nullify the candidacy of incumbent Mayor Lucilo Bayron for lack of merit.
Lawyer Arnel Pedrosa, concurrent city administrator and legal officer, said Friday that Bayron has already received a copy of the decision sent by his Manila lawyer.
āConfirmed na rin, si mayor mismo ang nagbalita sa akin na dismissed na āyong petition for disqualification filed against him. Sa pagkakaalam ko kung hindi siya Martes [na-receive], Lunes this week lang⦠he (Mayor Bayron) is in high spirit dahil again, no less than the COMELEC upheld āyong kaniyang position na he is qualified to run and to be re-elected as mayor of Puerto Princesa City. It only means that he did not commit any false statement or misrepresentation in his certificate of candidacy (COC),ā Pedrosa said.
Hagedorn filed the petition last year, claiming Bayron committed “material misrepresentation” so he should be meted the penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding government office.
Pedrosa said the petition is politically-motivated.
āWala naman kasing ibang motive tsaka purpose dyan. āYong timing niya during election, āyong personality ng nag-file sila rin, at āyong purpose kung bakit siya na-file ay for political purpose talaga āyan,ā he said.
Pedrosa added that while he has no copy yet, he already saw it posted online.
“[Nakapaloob sa document] āyong dispositive niya, dini-dismiss āyong petition for disqualification dahil walang merit, iyon ang nakalagay doon sa kaniyang ruling ng COMELEC. Maii-strengthen siyempre [nito] āyong hold ni mayor na magpa-re-elect bilang punong lungsod ng Puerto Princesa,ā Pedrosa said.