‘American’ elected congresswoman of Marinduque disqualified by SC
From Philippines Today
National NewsJul 2, 2013
MANILA - the Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) todisqualify Marinduque Congresswoman-elect Regina Ongsiako Reyes for being an American citizen.
The High Court voting 7-4-3 ruled to dismiss for lack of merit the petition for certiorari filed by Reyes who sought to stop her disqualification..
Siding with Associate Justice Jose Perez who wrote the decision were Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Mariano del Castillo, Lucas Bersamin, Roberto Abad and Bienvenido Reyes.
Four of the justices who dissented in the ruling were Antonio Carpio, Arturo Brion, Marvic Mario Victor Leonen and Martin Villarama.
Three justice inhibited from the case. They are Justices Jose Catral Mendoza, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Presbitero Velasco who recused himself from the case since his son, incumbent Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, is the opponent of Reyes in the May 2013 polls.
It will be recalled that last May 2013, Comelec ruled with finality that Reyes is disqualified because she is an American citizen.In a four-page Resolution of the Comelec en banc, promulgated on May 14, it junked the motion for reconsideration filed by Reyes.
Comelec has brushed aside the defense of Reyes that she is a dual citizen of the Philippines and of the US due to her previous marriage to Saturnino Ador Dionisio.
Reyes claimed that she got her US citizenship by virtue of her marriage to a US citizen, However she denied having undergone naturalization.
In the ruling dated March 27, 2013, the Comelec First Division held that Reyes is a US citizen and is therefore disqualified from running for a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 13, elections.
The case stemmed from a petition filed by Joseph Tan to deny due course to or cancel Reyes’ certificate of candidacy on the basis of several false representations made by Reyes in her CoC.
The poll body pointed out that Reyes is a US citizen and relied on the certificate issued by the Bureau of Immigration detailing Reyes’ use of a US passport since 2005.
