The Commission on Elections has canceled the Special Elections in the 3rd District of Negros Oriental scheduled for Dec. 9, that would have selected a replacement for expelled Cong. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves.
News of the cancellation came a few hours after former Cong. Pryde Henry Teves and Bacong Mayor Lenin Alviola filed their Certificates of Candidacy last Wednesday, Nov. 8, and one day after retired Col. Rey Lopez filed his COC for the special elections.
The announcement caught the candidates flat-footed. Former Congressman Teves, who is also former governor, was quoted telling a Manila-based news network that he was unaware of the Comelec decision.
Despite the news of the cancellation of the election, Siaton Councilor Cliff Felix “JunDi” Diaz III, brother of Siaton Mayor Cezanne Fritz Diaz, still went to the Comelec office to file the COC of Mayor Fritz who is abroad.
Councilor Diaz said they decided to push through with their intention to file his brother’s candidacy despite the news of the cancellation, on the date they originally intended.
The special election was set by the Comelec through Resolution 10945 dated Aug. 30, after the House of Representatives, on Aug. 22, certified the vacancy of the seat in the House of Representatives for the 3rd District of Negros Oriental.
The 3rd District includes the southern city of Bayawan, and the towns of Valencia, Bacong, Dauin, Zamboanguita, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, and Basay.
The Comelec, in an announcement made Wednesday afternoon, said they cancelled the scheduled election after they received Resolution 154 from the House of Representatives signed by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, urging the Commission to reconsider its Resolution for the conduct of the special election for the vacancy in the House of Representatives for the Third Legislative District of the Province, “given all the existing circumstances and present predicament affecting the Province. “
According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the reasons for the cancellation included a petition for certiorari filed by Arnolfo Teves Jr. before the Supreme Court, challenging his removal as member of the House of Representatives.
Arnie Teves, the first member of the House of Representatives to be expelled, is also the first sitting Congressman to be designated a Terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council.
He has also been issued a warrant of arrest for his alleged role in the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, and the killing of nine others, and has been out of the country since February.
The Resolution from the House of Representatives to the Comelec also stated that there are pending disqualification cases against winning candidates in the recently-concluded Barangay & Sanggunian Kabataan Elections.
The Resolution further said the conduct of special elections in the Third Legislative District at this time and under the present circumstances may have a negative impact on the peace and order situation not only in the District but also in the surrounding areas in the Province.
According to Comelec, the House leadership invited them to a meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and informed them about the plan to cancel the elections. Garcia said they secured a copy of the Resolution the next day, Wednesday.
“The Congress has the power to call for a special election, and it is also within their power not to call for a special election. This authority lies with them. The Comelec will simply carry out the instructions of the House of Representatives in this matter, as it is composed of their members. Therefore, this pertains to a question of membership, and should be resolved by the House of Representatives,” Garcia said.
Meanwhile, 2nd District Rep. Manuel “Chiquiting” Sagarbarria told the MetroPost that he had authored House Resolution 1431 proposing to the Congress to ask the Comelec to reconsider the holding of the special elections for the 3rd District.
Sagarbarria said that if the special elections pushed through on Dec. 9, and if the Supreme Court would rule on former Cong. Arnie Teves’ petition for certiorari in his favor, there is a possibility the Third District of Negros Oriental would end up with having two elected Congressmen.
“There are also two opposing forces so we could go back to having the same [peace and order]problem,” Sagarbarria lamented.
To ensure that there would be peace in the Province, Sagarbarria said he proposed that House Speaker Martin Romuladez continue as caretaker of the 3rd District, and that the next election to select their Representative in Congress be held during the 2025 midterm elections. (AP)
