The Commission on Elections (Comelec) declined to comment on the eligibility of Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Bayron to run for reelection in 2025.
Comelec Chairman Atty. George Erwin Garcia stated that he cannot answer and would rather not comment on the issue.
“Una, hindi namin alam yung facts. Pangalawa, ayaw namin i-preempt yung posibleng kaso na ifa-file kung meron man. At pangatlo, hindi rin natin alam kung siya mismo ay tatakbo rin so mapaka-presumptuous,” Garcia explained during the press conference following the automated counting machine (ACM) demonstration and information drive at the Edward S. Hagedorn Coliseum on Thursday, August 15.
“Hindi kami pwedeng magbigay ng opinion tungkol sa mga bagay na yan sa kasalukuyan,” he added.
He also noted that if Bayron files his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for any position, the Comelec will accept it.
The issue regarding Bayron’s term of office stems from a case during his second term as mayor, where he was removed from office in 2017, and then Vice-Mayor Luis Marcaida III took over. However, Bayron was reinstated after four months.
Bayron argued back then that since his second term, which was supposed to end in 2019, was involuntarily interrupted, his election to office in 2019 becomes his first term of office, allowing him to run for reelection in 2022 and 2025.
Garcia noted that the Comelec’s action would simply be to accept Bayron’s COC if he files it.
