Comelec to hear Julius Sayson’s disqualification today

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division in Intramuros, Metro Manila will hear Monday the petition to declare Julius Sayson as a nuisance mayoralty candidate in the City of Bacolod.

Lawyer Crystal Vega, legal counsel of NPC Grupo Progreso mayoralty candidate Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, will appear during the hearing in Manila to present documentary evidence to prove their claims that the other Sayson, which is a namesake of her client Vice Mayor Sayson, is a nuisance candidate and has no bonafide intention to run for the position he once sought.

The scheduled hearing today, Monday, is a preliminary hearing on the petition they filed against the other Sayson. Julius Sayson is expected to file his answer on the petition.

All the evidence that they have submitted will be supported by original documents, which will be presented before the Comelec. These will be compared with the photocopied evidence with the original documents.

Comelec ordered the camp of Vice Mayor Sayson to file its position paper.

For his part, Julius Sayson did not file an answer to the petition but instead filed his certificate of withdrawal. His withdrawal is also expected to be discussed during the hearing today.

Since he did not file answer, they will request Comelec if they could render a decision on the petition.

His failure to file the necessary answer meant that he already waived his right to it.

Julius Sayson may appear at the hearing.

She added that the certificate of withdrawal filed by Julius will not affect the case, as the Comelec did not honor it. They will use such withdrawal as one of the documentary evidence.

He has not submitted it personally thus it is not considered as a valid withdrawal, she said.

Moreover, the withdrawal of Julius can be considered as a vindication as, from the very beginning, they treated him as a nuisance candidate but it is not final unless declared by the Comelec.