The Bohol StandardSince the Commission on Elections did not merely disqualified sitting Albur mayor Jose Ugdoracion Jr. as mayor but declared him not to have been a candidate at all, a move has been sought to finally install Ephraim Tungol, as the winning candidate having garnered the highest number of votes from two other candidates in the last May 14, 2007 elections.
A motion filed by Tungol’s lawyers requested Comelec to immediately order the execution of its en banc Resolution dated Sept. 28, 2007 denying Ugdoracion’s motion for reconsideration and to require the Municipal Board of Canvassers of Alburquerque, Bohol to reconvene and declare the votes gathered by Ugdoracion as “strayâ€.
Tungol, having garnered the highest votes over two others who ran for the same position, will be declared as the duly elected Municipal Mayor during the May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections .
In the May elections, there were four who filed Certificates of Candidacy for the position of Mayor of Albur.
On May 8, 2007, the Comelec First Division granted a petition filed by Tungol canceling the COC of Ugdoracion. He was also removed in the certified list of candidates for material representation and for lack of the necessary residency requirement.
Jurisprudence say: “Votes cast for a disqualified candidate fall within the category of invalid non-existent votes because a disqualified candidate is no candidate at all and is not a candidate in the eyes of the law. (Santos v. Comelec and Rufino, G.R. No. L-58512).
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=13098.0