Cebu City’s traffic chief Sylvan Jakosalem and Nutrition Council chairman Ronald Diola tendered their resignation after filing their Certificates of Candidacy last Friday.
Jakosalem, chairman of the City Integrated Traffic Operations Management (Citom) and Diola are running for city council seats in the south district under Team Rama.
Jakosalem has been confined in a private hospital since Saturday when he suffered a seizure related to the recurrence of a past infection.
In a text message to Cebu Daily News, he said he would remain a Citom consultant.
Jakosalem and Diola said their resignations were a formality as they were considered resigned the moment they filed their COCs last Friday.
“It’s up to Mayor Michael Rama to appoint replacements,” Jakosalem said.
Diola said he would continue assisting the Nutrition Council for free.
Under a Comelec en banc rule, “any person holding a public appointive office or position, including active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other officers and employees in government-owned or controlled corporations, shall be considered ipso facto or automatic resigned from his office and must vacate the same at the start of the day of the filing of his Certificate of Candidacy.”
Cebu City election officer Marchel Sarno said this was a general rule and the Comelec doesn’t need to remind or order appointed officials to follow it.
He clarified that only elected officials are exempted by the Comelec ruling.
Elected officials have fixed terms and will remain in their positions until noon of June 30, he added.
Cebu City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said they will seek clarification about the effect on contractual employees.
He said Jakosalem and Diola were cnosidered contractual employees.
Mayor Rama said he thought that Diola and Jakosalem were exempted from the rule.
“If there is no violation, why resign? But if they are the ones who made the decision to resign to concentrate on the campaign, or whatever their plans are, I will always respect their decision,” said the mayor.