THREE petitioners have asked the court to remove 173 people from the list of voters registered in Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City after they were found to be living in Mandaue City.
Enriquita Crispe, Anita Telen and Gina Umbao sought the intervention of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branches 1 and 2 in Cebu City to have the 173 people removed from Kamagayan’s list of registered voters.
Florleane Sacares, who serves as the petitioners’ legal counsel, said the 173 voters used to live in Barangay Kamagayan, but they moved to Barangay Cubacub in Mandaue City after their houses were demolished.
Sacares said Cubacub Barangay Captain Almario Bihag provided a certification that the 173 lived in his barangay.
“We are filing this petition because, as per Comelec (Commission on Elections) certification, they are currently registered as voters of Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City. However, it is our position that they will be excluded from the list of permanent voters of Cebu City because they are now residents of Mandaue City for over 10 years,” Sacares said.
The 173 voters reportedly support the mayoralty bid of Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella in the midterm elections in May.
Lawyer Floro Casas Jr., who represents the 173 residents, submitted an oral motion to dismiss because the petition was submitted on Feb. 7, while the deadline was on Feb. 1.
Sacares said her clients’ petition was submitted on Feb. 1. However, when the court called to inform her that the P50,000 they paid for the docket fee was not enough, they paid the balance on Feb. 7.
Sacares said the issue was resolved after the executive judge issued a favorable decision.
But Casas said he planned to submit a written argument to support his motion to dismiss the petition against his clients.
The court has scheduled a marathon hearing starting on Monday, Feb. 18, to resolve the petition. (from PAC of Superbalita Cebu, JKV)