A CEBU City resident asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Pablo John F. Garcia as representative of the third district of Cebu on questions of residency.

Gilbert Pepito, a resident of Bonifacio St., Cebu City filed the petition before the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila last Monday.

Pepito alleged that Garcia failed to comply with the basic one-year residency of the place where he seeks to be elected.

Garcia filed his COC for 3rd district representative of Cebu as a resident of Barangay Balao, Barili.

In his petition, Pepito submitted a certification issued by the Election Officer of Barili dated Oct. 18, 2018 stating that Garcia applied for a transfer of his Voter’s Registration Record from Dumanjug to Barili on July 28, 2018.

The Election Officer of Dumanjug also issued a certification stating that Garcia is still a registered voter of Dumanjug. Dumanjug is one of the towns of the seventh district of Cebu.

Pepito’s petition stated that Garcia’s application for transfer is also being challenged by another person. But even if the case in the local Comelec office will be resolved, Garcia still failed to comply with the residency requirement.

In 2016, Garcia ran for congressman of the seventh district, but lost.

Garcia is expected to issue his statement on the matter today. (MVQ with JECT)