MABALACAT CITY --- A board member in Pampanga’s first district which covers this component city has appealed to his constituents to “unite and set aside politics.”
Board Member Benny Jocson issued the statement after Mayor Marino Morales has relinquished his post following a cease and desist order (CDO) implemented by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in connection to the mayor’s disqualification in the last mayoralty race.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to proclaim on June 27 Morales’ rival, former Pampanga First District Board Member Crisostomo Garbo, as the city’s new mayor after the DILG ordered the implementation of the poll body’s en banc resolution cancelling Morales’ certificate of candidacy from the last elections.
Garbo, who got the second highest votes, said he will be proclaimed at the central office of the Comelec in Intramuros, Manila.
The Comelec stated that Morales was disqualified in the 2016 elections after serving three successive terms as mayor, the maximum allowed by law.
Jocson urged supporters of both camps to observe calmness and respect the decision of the Comelec and the court.
“Wala tayong pinapanigan dito. Gusto lang natin ay mapayapang palitan ng liderato ng ating siyudad kung magkakaroon man based sa decision ng Comelec at Court. (We are not taking sides here. We just want a peaceful transition or change in the leadership if there will be one based on the decision of the Comelec and the court),” Jocson said.
The disqualification case against Morales was filed by Pyra Lucas, who had landed fourth in the mayoral elections.
In her DQ case dated January 4, 2016, Lucas alleged that Morales could no longer run in the 2016 elections since he had already been elected and served for three consecutive terms for the same position from 2007 to 2013.
On May 20, 2016, Garbo filed a Motion for Leave to Intervene and to Admit Attached Petitioner-in-Intervention. He alleged that he was “vitally interested in and will be affected by the outcome of the instant case.”
According to Garbo, Morales was ineligible to run as mayor of Mabalacat City because he was constitutionally barred in serving his fourth consecutive term.
Garbo claimed that he should be proclaimed as the mayor should Morales’ COC be cancelled because he obtained the second highest number of votes in the 2016 elections.
On August 8, 2016, Morales sought reconsideration of the Comelec First Division resolution. The mayor claimed that the Comelec First Division erred in cancelling his COC despite the fact that there was no prior authoritative finding by a competent authority that he violated the three-term limit rule.
Morales stated that the Commission First Division also erred for not dismissing Lucas’ DQ case despite its procedural defects. It was filed out of time and it lacked a certification against forum shopping.
Morales claimed that he is qualified to run because the general status of the city has changed following its conversion into a component city.
He insisted that the Congress has intended to include the area of Clark Freeport as part of Mabalacat City and that the residents of the economic zone became registered voters of the city.
But the Comelec First Division disfavored Morales claims. The Comelec En Banc stated in its May 26, 2017 that the decision of Commission First Division is correct.
“The Petitioner-Intervenor (Garbo), being the qualified mayoralty candidate with the highest number of votes should be proclaimed,” the Comelec En Banc stated.