San Juan mayor goes to SC to stop recall election

BAGUIO CITY — The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the proponents of the recall petition filed against San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez five days to comment on her plea to dismiss it.

The high tribunal sitting en banc addressed Gomez’s petition filed on April 7 for a temporary restraining order against the Comelec’s March 17 resolution allowing the recall election to proceed.

The recall was initiated by Gomez’s losing rival, former Vice Mayor Francis Zamora, who had accused her of corruption and incompetence.

The Comelec is still required to validate 30,000 signatures in the petition that sought a recall election against Gomez.

The verification process will be held from April 25 to May 1 at the San Juan Knights gym in San Juan Elementary School, San Juan City.

Gomez had challenged the Comelec ruling by asserting that the poll commissioners did not have a quorum when they voted to proceed with the recall petition. —Vincent Cabreza