(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
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has not yet responded to the Motions for Reconsideration (MRs) filed by the camp of Romeo Jalosjos Jr. and the Office of the Solicitor General, blocking the proclamation of Robert T. Uy Jr. as Zamboanga Del Norte first district representative.
In a statement on Sunday, Romeo Jalosjos Jr.’s legal counsel, Atty. Edward Gialogo said that the MRs, left unresolved by the SC, “will result in a constitutional crisis that is disruptive of the jurisprudential precepts laid down by no less than the Honorable High Court.”
“This results in an absurd situation wherein it is impossible for the SC to grant the Motions for Reconsideration filed by the OSG and Romeo Jalosjos, Jr.,” Gialogo added.
Meanwhile, in the same statement, Jalosjos recalled the filing of the certificate of candidacy of Frederico Jalosjos as a “planned grand deception” to get votes from their camp in last May 2022 elections.
He noted that it might set an “unlawful precedent of mocking the electoral process” in future elections.
“We know for a fact that Frederico Jalosjos went to a local civil registry office back in 2021 to change his name to “Jalosjos” and that he was a substitute candidate of Lester Uy Ong, a first cousin of Roberto T. Uy Jr.,” he said.
To recall, Uy garnered 69,591 in last year’s national elections, while R. Jalosjos received 69,109 votes.
READ: Comelec proclaims Roberto Uy Jr. as Zamboanga del Norte 1st district rep
The two other candidates, F. Jalosjos and Richard Amazon received 5,424 and 288 votes, respectively.
READ: Romeo Jalosjos Jr. opposes election rival’s immediate proclamation
The legal battle between Uy and R. Jalosjos started when the Provincial Board of Canvassers moved to declare the latter as the winning candidate after the votes garnered by F. Jalosjos were transferred to him, citing F. Jalosjos’ nuisance candidacy.
R. Jalosjos’ votes rose to roughly 75,0000.
However, SC ruled that F. Jalosjos was not a nuisance candidate.
After a year of legal battle, the Commission on Elections declared Uy the election winner after a Supreme Court ruling in his favor.