ER Ejercito to challenge disqualification case before SC

Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito  PHOTO from SCENEMA CONCEPT INTERNATIONAL INC.  CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

MANILA, Philippines—Laguna Governor Emilio Ramon “ER” Ejercito on Wednesday said he will question before the Supreme Court (SC) the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) decision to disqualify him for election overspending.

“I am prepared to take legal action against the disqualification order of the Comelec once we receive the documents,” he said in a text message to media.

The actor-turned-politician said he was confident that the SC will side with him against the Comelec en banc’s decision to uphold an earlier disqualification ruling by its First Division after it was discovered that he spent P6 million on television advertisements alone for the 2013 elections.

Under election rules and based on Laguna’s population of local voters, Ejercito was only allowed to spend 4.6 million for his campaign.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said that he has five days to appeal the decision with the Supreme Court.

“I am confident that the SC will uphold the rule of law and the voice of 550,000 voters of the Province of Laguna who voted for me. I am also confident that the SC will uphold the mandate of the people of Laguna that they have so overwhelmingly entrusted to me during the last 2010 and 2013 [gubernatorial] elections,” Ejercito added.

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