Comelec explains delayed en banc decision in Marikina House seat race
Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro (INQUIRER.net file photo / Jason Sigales)
MANILA, Philippines — Preparations for the 2025 midterm elections and confirmation of appointments of the new Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners contributed to the delay of the Comelec en banc’s reversal on the Comelec First Division’s cancellation of Marikina City Mayor Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro’s certificate of candidacy (COC) for congressman.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia issued the explanation on Thursday when asked to react to outgoing Senator Aquilino “Kiko” Pimentel III’s statement on the Comelec en banc’s decision.
“They all know they did something very special in that case, which took them six months to cook,” Pimentel earlier said.
READ: Pimentel to raise Teodoro case at SC: It took them 6 months to ‘cook’
The First Division’s decision was released on December 11, 2024, while the en banc’s ruling was released on Wednesday.
The first division granted the consolidated petitions of Pimentel and a certain Leighrich Estanislao to cancel Teodoro’s COC for alleged material misrepresentation on his address.
Garcia explained that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. did not immediately appoint new commissioners after former Commissioners Socorro Inting and Marlon Casquejo officially retired last February 2.
“After the two commissioners were appointed, they started working with the remaining five members [of the Comelec en banc] for the May [2025] elections,” Garcia told reporters in an interview.
It was last February 10 when the Palace named former Comelec law department head Maria Norina Tangaro-Casingal to the post vacated by Inting while former regional election director Noli Pipo replaced Casquejo.
Inting was the presiding commissioner of the first division when the decision was released in December.
Garcia also said that the new commissioners only had more than two months to prepare for the 2025 midterm elections.
“They faced confirmation in the last few weeks. This contributed to the delay because they studied the case.” Garcia added.
The Commission on Appointments confirmed the ad interim appointments of Tangaro-Casingal and Pipo last June 10.
READ: Comelec lifts suspension on Marcy Teodoro’s win as Marikina rep
In its decision, the Comelec en banc reinstated Teodoro’s COC for Marikina City’s 1st District congressional race. It also lifted the order of the suspension of Teodoro’s proclamation.
Teodoro won the congressional race against Pimentel, garnering 75,062 votes against Pimentel’s 29,091.
Teodoro’s proclamation, however, was suspended due to pending cases before the poll body.
The en banc said it found that the petitioners failed to prove that Teodoro committed material misrepresentation in his COC.
The petitioners claimed that the outgoing Marikina City mayor was not a resident of Barangay San Roque in the 1st District as he just transferred from Barangay Tumana in the 2nd district prior to the start of filing of COC in October 2024.
The en banc noted that there is no material misrepresentation in Teodoro’s COC on his voter registration as he checked the option “I will be a registered voter of…” and listed his address in Barangay San Roque.
It explained that the “phrasing reflects a future-oriented, contingent status that is conditional upon the expected approval of his pending application.”
The Election Registration Board approved Teodoro’s voter transfer on October 18, 2024, 13 days after he filed his COC.
The en banc also said that Teodoro declaring residence in Barangay Tumana does not prove a change in domicile, or permanent address.
It added that Teorodo “is not a stranger or newcomer” in the 1st district as it is his domicile of origin.
Garcia explained that domicile of origin is the permanent address where an individual is born and raised. /gsg
