SC closes door on boxing promoter's candidacy for Cebu mayor

MANILA -- Boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud was stopped by the Supreme Court from running as mayor of Cordova in Cebu in the May midterm elections after it upheld the ruling of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that disqualified him for failing to meet the one-year residency requirement.

In a two-page resolution, the SC said Salud’s petition has failed to establish that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion when it barred his candidacy, “which, on the contrary, appears to be in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence."

The Court also said that the petition was premature since the Comelec has yet to resolve his appeal.

"The petition is premature as petitioner has a pending motion for reconsideration with respondent tribunal (Comelec), his motion to withdraw has not been acted upon, and there are no sufficient allegations to bring the case within the recognized exceptions," the SC said.

Salud is a friend of boxing superstar and re-electionist Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)