Posted by ABS-CBN News at 01/26/16 10:17 PM
MANILA - The Supreme Court's (SC) decision
unseating Marinduque Rep. Regina Ongsiako Reyes as congressional representative
is now final and executory.
This, after the high court, in its en banc
session on Tuesday, dismissed the motion of the House of Representatives,
through Speaker Sonny Belmonte, to reconsider its decision removing Reyes from
Congress and ordering that Lord Allan Jay Velasco be administered his oath as
representative of the lone district of Marinduque.
The SC earlier ordered Belmonte to administer
Velasco's oath and register him in the Roll of Members of the House of Representatives.
The SC granted Velasco's petition for
mandamus, which sought to compel the House of Representatives to comply with
the high court's final ruling upholding the disqualification of Reyes on
grounds that she is an American citizen.
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| Cong. Lord Allan Q. Velasco |
Velasco, son of SC Associate Justice
Presbitero Velasco, Jr., who inhibited from his son's case, was eventually
proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). However, the House of
Representatives refused to honor Velasco's proclamation.
Reyes is a member of the Liberal Party (LP).
CANCELLATION OF COCs
Meanwhile, the high court affirmed the
decision of the Comelec to cancel the certificates of candidacy (COCs) of the
following, saying the poll body did not commit grave abuse of discretion:
Camilo Sabio, who filed COC for president;
Vetallano Acosta, who filed COC for
president; and Gion Villamore Gounet, who filed COC for
senator.
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| File photo of Cong. Velasco when he was proclaimed winner of the congressional seat in the lone district of Marinduque by Comelec in July 2013 |
