Comelec nullifies Kevin Anarna proclamation as Silang mayor
The Commission on Elections en banc declares Kevin Anarna’s proclamation as Silang, Cavite mayor invalid. Photo from Anarna Facebook page.
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has disqualified Alston Kevin Anarna’s mayoral candidacy in Silang, Cavite in the 2025 elections, declaring his votes as stray and his proclamation as invalid.
In its decision dated Thursday, the Comelec en banc reversed the ruling of the Comelec First Division dismissing the petition of Mayor Edward Carranza.
Carranza sought to disqualify Carranza over a October 2024 Ombudsman decision which found Anarna guilty of grave misconduct and serious dishonesty and dismissed him from service, barring him from holding public office.
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Carranza also argued that Anarna’s perpetual disqualification from holding public office “is a material fact involving eligibility” and the Comelec has the motu proprio duty to prevent anyone with perpetual disqualification from seeking public office.
However, the first division dismissed the petition for failure to provide proof of serving the petition to the respondent.
The Comelec en banc said that it cannot disregard the Ombudsman’s ruling, noting the Section 40(b) of Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 which provides that those dismissed from office as a result of administrative case are disqualified from seeking any elective position.
`Sanctity of elections’
The en banc emphasized that “COMELEC, as a constitutional commission, is duty-bound to protect the sanctity of elections and ensure that only qualified and eligible individuals are allowed to run for public office.”
“[T]his Commission finds that Respondent ALSTON KEVIN AMUTAN ANARNA is disqualified to run as candidate for Mayor of the Municipality of Silang, Province of Cavite in the 12 May 2025 National and Local Elections,” the five-page order read.
In line with this, the en banc ordered the Municipal Board of Canvassers of Silang in Cavite “to reconvene and perform the following: (1) make the necessary corrections in the Certificate of Canvass of Votes and Proclamation; and, (2) proclaim the candidate with the highest number of valid votes.
Anarna won the race with 54,787 votes while Carranza ranked second with 40,447 votes. Carranza assumed the mayoral post in October 2024 when Anarna was dismissed from his office.
The Task Force Safeguarding Against Fear and Exclusion (Safe), Comelec’s anti-discrimination panel, earlier filed a disqualification case against Anarna after allegedly violating Comelec’s resolution on anti-discrimination and fair campaign guidelines for the 2025 elections.
Anarna made the following remark in Filipino toward a grandmother and solo parents in one of his campaign events:
“Earlier, I couldn’t count how many pinched my ass. There was one earlier, a grandmother. You know, this is the first time it happened in a campaign. The grandmother, she drowned me in kisses.”
