Comelec sets recall election in Puerto Princesa for May 8

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said it had initially scheduled the recall election in Puerto Princesa against Mayor Lucilo Bayron on May 8.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec en banc will soon be issuing an official resolution holding the recall election on the day before the ban on holding such balloting shall take effect.

Under the Local Government Code, it is prohibited to conduct a recall election within one year preceding a regular local balloting. The election body is gearing up for the next presidential elections scheduled on May 9, 2016.

“The en banc is looking at a possible holding of the (recall) election there [in Puerto Princesa] on May 8. That’s when they’re setting it,” Jimenez told reporters in an interview. He added that the other details will be released to the public after the en banc issued an official resolution on the matter.

Voting unanimously, the Supreme Court ordered the Comelec to conduct recall election against Bayron, who automatically becomes a candidate in the election.

The court set aside two resolutions of the election body that suspended all recall proceedings in the country, including that of Puerto Princesa, citing lack of funds to carry out such move.

The recall petition was signed by 40,409 registered voters of Puerto Princesa, exceeding the needed 19,335 signatures for the recall to push through.

Last week, the Comelec announced that there was sufficient number of valid signatures in the recall petition. It said that out of the 32,418 signatures it verified, 22,326 signatures of petitioners were found valid.