Comelec: Suspended Antique board members can still run for 2025 polls

STILL RUNNING. Suspended board member Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao (left) poses with Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta, Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Assistant Regional Election Director and concurrent Antique Provincial Election Supervisor Wil Arceño said in an interview that suspended board members in Antique were still qualified to run for the 2025 midterm elections. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Antique Vice Governor Edgar ‘Ed’ Denosta

SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in this town said the suspended board members of Antique province could still file their certificates of candidacy (COCs) and run for the 2025 midterm elections.

“The preventive suspension of the board members is not a problem or a ground for their disqualification because it is not yet a final decision from the Ombudsman,” said Acting Assistant Regional Election Director and concurrent Antique Provincial Election Supervisor Wil Arceño in an interview on Thursday.

He said the Comelec, since the first day of the filing on Oct. 1, had been receiving COCs of suspended board members, citing, as the basis, Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Suspended board members Mayella Mae Plameras-Ladislao, Egidio Elio, Alfie Jay Niquia, and Plaridel Sanchez IV filed their COCs on Oct. 1.
Ladislao is running for vice governor, while Elio, Niquia, and Sanchez IV are seeking reelection.

The Office of the Ombudsman slapped them with a six-month preventive suspension on Aug. 5, pending the hearing of their administrative cases for oppression, grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, and gross neglect of duty.

In the meantime, Vice Gov. Edgar Denosta, now on his last term, filed his COC for the gubernatorial post under the Nacionalista Party at Robinsons Place in this capital town on Thursday.

Denosta was joined by his party mates, returning board member Fernando Corvera and neophytes Tracy Orquia, June Saiyo, and Nick Abarrientos for the southern part of the province.

For the northern part are reelectionist board member Noel Alamis and new aspirants Romeo Genovata and Ruperto Lavega.

Denosta’s party carries the tagline “Serbisyo Gwapo” (very good quality service), targeting to expand the provincial government’s educational assistance program and espouse a pro-God, pro-people kind of governance. (PNA)