Comelec lifts suspension on Marcy Teodoro’s win as Marikina rep
Marikina First District Representative-elect Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has lifted the suspension order on the proclamation of Marcelino “Marcy” Teodoro as the winner of the Marikina City 1st District congressional race in the 2025 midterm elections.
The decision comes following the reversal of a previous ruling that sought to cancel his certificate of candidacy (COC).
READ: Comelec 1st division cancels Teodoro’s candidacy for House seat
In a resolution dated June 25, 2025, the Comelec en banc reinstated Teodoro’s COC, which had earlier been canceled by the Comelec’s First Division over alleged material misrepresentation of his address.
“The Resolution dated 11 December 2024 promulgated by the Commission (First Division) is hereby REVERSED and SET ASIDE,” the 36-page resolution reads.
“The Order for the SUSPENSION OF THE PROCLAMATION OF RESPONDENT MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO issued by the Commission (En Banc) on 12 May 2025 is HEREBY LIFTED,” it stated.
READ: Pimentel wants DQ case vs Teodoro resolved quickly
“Finally, the Certificate of Candidacy of herein RESPONDENT MARCELINO “MARCY” R. TEODORO for Member of the House of Representatives, 1st District, Marikina City in the 12 May 2025 National and Local Elections is hereby REINSTATED,” it declared.
What the case says
The Comelec en banc said it found that the petitioners failed to prove that Teodoro committed material misrepresentation in his COC.
Leighrich James Estanislao and outgoing Senator Koko Pimentel, in their consolidated petitions, said that Teodoro was not a resident of Barangay San Roque in the 1st District of Marikina for one year and a month.
They told the poll body that Teodoro just transferred to San Roque prior to the start of the filing of COCs in October 2024.
The petitioners noted that Teodoro had applied for the transfer of registration records from the 1st District to the 2nd District of Marikina City, reportedly claiming to be a resident of Barangay Tumana in the 2nd District.
The application was then approved on April 17, 2024, the petitioners said.
They added that Teodoro decided to transfer back to Barangay San Roque in 1st District on September 26, 2024 upon “realizing that the odds are stacked against him.”
They also said that the flip-flopping transfer of registration “intends to exploit not only the law and rule but the 1987 Constitution.”
For his part, Teodoro argued that he was a resident of Mabini Street in Barangay San Roque.
He submitted documentary evidence including his utility bills, tax records, voter’s certification, service records, affidavits of witnesses, and various photographs of his supposed activities in the 1st District.
Teodoro also said that his return to Brgy. San Roque “was genuine, citing deep personal and historical ties to the area” since he previously served as the congressman of the 1st District from 2007-2016.
The Comelec en banc noted that there is no material misrepresentation in Teodoro’s COC on his voter registration as he checked the option of “I will be a registered voter of…” and listed his address in Barangay San Roque.
The en banc 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 or 13 days after he filed his COC and before the final deadline for COC cancellation.
“This subsequent approval retroactively validates Respondent’s declaration regarding the status of his voter registration and undermines any assertion that his statement was false, much less deliberate or fraudulent,” the en banc stated.
Further, the en banc also believes that Teodoro’s declaration of residence in Barangay Tumana does not prove a change in domicile or permanent address.
The en banc doubted that he abandoned his place of origin in Barangay San Roque.
“The law presumes that a domicile, once established, continues, unless and until a new one is acquired by clear, positive and convincing evidence,” it maintained.
The en banc added that Teodoro “is not a stranger or newcomer” in the 1st District as it is his place of origin.
“Respondent’s declaration of residence in his COC was, therefore, made in good faith, substantiated by verifiable records and affidavits, and fully compliant with the constitutional and statutory requirements for candidacy as Member, House of Representatives in the 1st District of Marikina City,” the decision noted.
Reactions to the ruling
Teodoro sees the ruling as a “victory for the people of Marikina,” adding that his familial, social and political connections have always been rooted in Barangay San Roque.
“It affirms what we’ve believed from the beginning – that the voice of the people matters and should never be silenced,” he said in a statement.
In an interview with DZMM, Teodoro said that he will be waiting for five days to receive the certificate of finality before he is proclaimed as representative-elect of the district.
READ: Pimentel to raise Teodoro case at SC: It took them 6 months to ‘cook’
Meanwhile, Pimentel said that he will raise the case to the Supreme Court.
He is questioning why it took the poll body six months to decide after the ruling of the first division was released last December.
“They all know they did something very special in that case, which took them six months to cook,” he said in a text message but he did not elaborate.
Teodoro won the Marikina City 1st District congressional race against Pimentel, garnering 75,062 votes to Pimentel’s 29,091.
Teodoro’s proclamation, however, was suspended due to pending cases before the poll body. /mcm/apl
