Outgoing Senator Koko Pimentel denounced the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for reversing its earlier ruling disqualifying Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro as a congressional candidate for District 1, calling the reversal “a mockery of the Constitution” and warning that it “opens the gates of electoral hell.”
“This reversal is not just a legal setback, for it’s clearly a betrayal of the Constitution and the democratic process,” Pimentel said. “It sets a dangerous precedent and opens the gates of electoral hell.”
“It sets a dangerous precedent and opens the gates of electoral hell.”
“If residency requirements mandated by the Constitution can be brushed aside with a flip of a resolution, what stops others from gaming or manipulating the system?” the veteran legislator pointed out.
“Article VI, Section 6 of the Constitution is clear that a congressional candidate must be a resident of the district for at least one year before the election,” said the former Senate President and bar topnotcher.
“Disregarding this opens the floodgates for politicians, driven by nothing but self-interest and personal preservation, where they can claim residency wherever they have political advantage,” the seasoned lawmaker stressed.
Comelec had initially disqualified Teodoro over material misrepresentation in his voter registration, after finding that he had declared an address in District 1 while official records, including his driver’s license and legal pleadings all listed a residence in District 2.
The initial decision, issued on December 11, 2024 by the Comelec first division, stated that the preponderance of documentary evidence contradicted Teodoro’s claim that he had been a bona fide resident of District 1 for at least one year before filing his Certificate of Candidacy, a constitutional requirement for congressional aspirants.
Pimentel also took aim at the Comelec’s “turtle-paced” handling of the case, criticizing the commission for taking 196 days to issue a final decision.
“The Comelec’s inexcusable delay undermined the electoral process,” he said. “Nearly 200 days passed before the Commission could decide on a simple question of residency and voter eligibility.”
“The Comelec’s inexcusable delay undermined the electoral process.”
Pimentel added that the commission’s failure to act promptly deprived the electorate of a clear and lawful choice, and allowed a candidate to run under the cloud of a pending disqualification case.
“We will exhaust all legal remedies,” he stressed.
