SC says it’s final: Marinduque solon is DQ’d

THE SUPREME Court has denied the House of Representatives’ motion for reconsideration of the tribunal’s earlier Jan. 12 ruling ordering the House to install Lord Allan Jay Velasco as the legitimate representative of Marinduque’s lone congressional district.

“The Court, with the same vote, 8-1-6, denied with finality the respondents’ motion for reconsideration. The decision is now final and executory, as far as that particular petition is concerned,” Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te said in a press briefing.

In the Jan. 12 ruling, the high court granted the mandamus petition filed by Velasco seeking to compel House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and secretary general Marilyn Barua-Yap to install him (Velasco) congressman and oust Regina Ongsiako-Reyes, whom the House had earlier recognized.

The Supreme Court upheld the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) cancellation of Reyes’ certificate of candidacy and annulled her proclamation for being a dual citizen and for failing to comply with the residency requirement for congressional candidates.

Reyes having been disqualified, the high court said the Comelec was correct in declaring Velasco as the winner of the election.

Reyes had contended that since she had already been proclaimed and had taken her oath of office, the case should have been decided by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. Tuesday denied having filed any motion for reconsideration with the high court.

He said it was the Office of Solicitor General (OSG) that represented the House in the Reyes case, but that it could only file such pleadings with his permission.

“I did not authorize the OSG,” he said.