Comelec proclaims Eric Yap as Benguet lone district representative

The Provincial Board of Canvassers of Benguet proclaims Eric Yap as the representative of Benguet’s lone district in the May 2025 elections on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Photo from the Commission on Elections/Viber)

MANILA, Philippines — Eric Yap has been proclaimed as the duly elected representative of the lone district of Benguet in the May 2025 elections.

The Provincial Board Canvassers (PBOC) of Benguet officiated Yap’s proclamation on Wednesday.

This came after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division issued a certificate of finality and entry of judgment on its June 26 ruling, which paved the way for Yap’s proclamation for the congressional race.

The second division received no motion for reconsideration from the petitioner, which made the decision final and executory.

READ: Order to proclaim Yap as Benguet representative now final, executory

The division dismissed a petition seeking to cancel Yap’s certificate of candidacy for alleged material misrepresentation of his citizenship.

It also lifted the order to suspend his proclamation and directed the PBOC of Benguet to reconvene and proclaim him as the winner.

The petition, filed by a certain Franklin Tino, said that Yap allegedly “committed a material misrepresentation when he stated under oath in his COC that he is a natural-born Filipino citizen and that he is eligible to run for the office he seeks to be elected.”

However, the second division said that the petitioner did not submit proof that Yap committed material misrepresentation in declaring that he is a natural-born Filipino citizen.

The division also noted that there was no evidence presented to prove that Yap was ineligible to hold public office.

READ: Comelec lifts suspension of proclamation of Benguet House bet

Meanwhile, last Tuesday, Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro was proclaimed as the representative of the Marikina City 1st District after the Comelec en banc issued a certificate of finality in its ruling lifting his proclamation suspension.

The decision also dismissed the petition filed to cancel his certificate of candidacy for alleged material misrepresentation of his address.

Former Senator Koko Pimentel and a person named Leighrich Estanislao, in their consolidated petitions seeking to cancel Teodoro’s COC, claimed that the outgoing Marikina City mayor was not a resident of Barangay San Roque in the 1st District of Marikina.

They said he just transferred from Barangay Tumana in the 2nd District before the start of the filing of the COC.

However, the Comelec en banc determined that the petitioners failed to prove that Teodoro committed material misrepresentation in his COC. /apl