Julius Sayson declared a ‘nuisance’

BACOLOD City mayoralty aspirant Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson can now heave a big sigh of relief.

Bacolod Election Officer Mavil Majarucon-Sia said Tuesday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division has declared YES Bacolod mayoralty candidate Julius Sayson as a nuisance candidate.

Comelec cancelled his certificate of candidacy so, in effect, he cannot run for the position of mayor, she added.

It can be recalled that Vice Mayor Sayson filed a petition last October 9, 2012 asking the Comelec to declare Julius Sayson as a nuisance candidate for the position of mayor in Bacolod City for the May 2013 national and local elections, and that his COC be denied due course and eventually be cancelled.

The Comelec resolution stated that, although the statement of withdrawal of Julius is defective, considering that it was not personally filed, it has no legal effect as far as his candidacy is concerned.

It, however, indicates Julius’ lack of serious intent to run for mayor. Instead of meeting head on the allegations against him and prove that he has a sincere intent to run for elective office, he opted not to further pursue his candidacy.

The resolution said Section 14 of Comelec Resolution 9518 mandates that a statement of withdrawal be filed personally. In as much as Juluis withdrew his candidacy by filing the required statement through LBC, there can be no valid withdrawal, Julius earlier reportedly said.

Majarucon-Sia said the resolution cited the case of Pamatong versus Comelec where the Commission cited, "owing to the superior interest in ensuring a credible and orderly election, the State could exclude nuisance candidates and need not indulge in, as the song goes, “their trips to the moon on gossamer wings.”

The resolution said petitioner Vice Mayor Sayson has sufficiently proven that Julius Sayson has no bona fide intention to run for mayor.

The Comelec resolution promulgated on January 29 was signed by Commissioner Armando Velasco and commissioners Rene V. Sarmiento and Christian Robert S. Lim.