(Left to Right) Cong. Roberto “Pinpin” Uy, Jr. takes his oath before Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona while his family, Shaia and Robinette Uy, looks on. Contributed photo
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed Roberto “Pinpin” Uy, Jr. as Zamboanga del Norte-1st District Representative after emerging victorious in the legal battle against Romeo Jalosjos, Jr.
His proclamation followed a year-long battle that ended with a Supreme Court (SC) ruling in favor of Uy.
Uy said the high court’s decision affirmed that the initial decision of the Comelec to suspend his proclamation was indeed erroneous.
READ: SC voids Romeo Jalosjos’ proclamation as Zamboanga del Norte congressman
“I am honored by this proclamation and the trust that the people of the 1st District of Zamboanga del Norte have placed in me. I am committed to working tirelessly to bring back the old glory of our beloved province. I will stand by the Uy legacy of good governance, and result-oriented and people-centered style of leadership,” he said.
“Together, we will address the challenges our community faces and work towards a brighter future for all.”
Uy garnered the highest votes during the May 2022 elections with 69,591, defeating Romeo Jalosjos Jr., who received only 69,109 votes. The other candidates Frederico Jalosjos (F. Jalosjos) and Richard Amazon received 5,424 and 288 votes, respectively.
The legal battle stemmed from Provincial Board of Canvassers’ (PBOC) move to declare Romeo Jalosjos as the winning candidate after the votes of F. Jalosjos, who was declared a nuisance candidate, were credited to him. This brought his votes up to roughly 75,0000.
READ: Romeo Jalosjos Jr. asks SC to let him sit as Zambo del Norte representative
But the SC ruled that the suspension order was issued based on R. Jalosjos’ bare allegations, and in effect, declared that F. Jalosjos is not a nuisance candidate.
“The SC ruling validated [my] electoral win,” Uy asserted. “This underscores the fairness and legitimacy of [my] victory, contrary to false allegations intended to deny [me my] rightful seat in the House of Representatives.”
Uy is the former mayor of Polanco town. During his term as mayor, he spearheaded municipal development projects in the areas of livelihoods, education, sports, and infrastructure.
The Uy family has, for over two decades, institutionalized impactful livelihood, major infrastructure projects, and good governance practices in Zamboanga province, the newly-proclaimed congressman said.