Edward Hagedorn was mayor of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan province for three consecutive terms from 1992 to 2001.
In 2001 Dennis Socrates succeeded Hagedorn, who sought higher position but lost the gubernatorial race.
But Socrates was ousted after 346 councilmen, village and youth council officials filed a petition for his recall, citing loss of confidence in his leadership.
In recall elections in September 2001, Hagedorn got 20,238 votes and won by 3,000 votes over Socrates’ 17,220 votes.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), however, was unable to quickly proclaim Hagedorn as mayor because of a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court.
On Nov. 12, 2002, the Supreme Court (SC), voting 11-2, lifted the TRO and junked three complaints filed by Socrates and Vicente Sandoval, prompting Comelec to proclaim Hagedorn as the winner.
On Hagedorn’s qualification for a new term, the high court said he did not violate the three-term limit rule prescribed by the Constitution and the Local Government Code.
“After three consecutive terms,” the ruling said, “an elective official cannot seek immediate reelection. The prohibited election refers to the next regular election for the same office following the end of the third consecutive term.”
In Hagedorn’s case, the SC said, the recall election is not covered by the prohibition.
Hagedorn was reelected mayor from 2007 to 2013. Rafael Antonio, Inquirer Research
Sources: Comelec and Inquirer Archives