With SC order, Rosal stays as Legazpi mayor

GRATITUDE Legazpi City Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal thanks her supporters who gathered at the City Hall compound on Thursday for a thanksgiving Mass following a Supreme Court order that allowed her to stay in her post while the high court resolves issues stemming from her disqualification. —MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN

LEGAZPI CITY—A day after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered her ouster, Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal will continue to discharge her function as this city’s chief executive after the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order on the poll body’s decision to disqualify her as a candidate during the May 9, 2022, mayoral race.

“The Supreme Court en banc deemed it necessary and proper to issue a status quo ante order requiring the parties to observe the status quo prevailing before the issuance of the Comelec resolutions dated Oct. 4, 2022, and May 4, 2023,” the high court said in its order posted on its website on Thursday.

The high court acted on two petitions seeking to prevent the disqualification of Rosal and the proclamation of Alfredo Garbin Jr., the second placer, as mayor of Legazpi.

Acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen, in his order, required the respondents—the Comelec, Rosal, Garbin, Vice Mayor Oscar Robert Cristobal and Joseph Armogila, who filed the disqualification case—to submit their respective consolidated comments within 10 days.

On May 4, the Comelec en banc disqualified Rosal as a candidate due to alleged vote buying. It found Rosal liable for “giving money to influence, induce or corrupt” voters during the cash assistance payout for tricycle drivers in the city on March 31, 2022.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia then tasked a special city board of canvassers to formally annul Rosal’s proclamation on May 19 and proclaim Garbin as the duly-elected mayor.

Believing in the process

Garbin said his camp would comply and file its comment on the order within the period given by the high court.

“We believe in the process, and we are confident that we will win it in the Supreme Court,” Garbin said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

“When the Supreme Court convenes [on June 13], I think [we will see] the lifting of the status quo ante because you know, this is a decision made by the Comelec en banc, with no less than seven commissioners affirming [the disqualification of Rosal] and saying that I should be proclaimed as mayor,” he added.

Garbin is a former Ako Bicol party list representative and Rosal’s closest opponent during last year’s election. Rosal defeated Garbin by a margin of less than 1,000 votes.

Thanksgiving

Armogila, who was a candidate for city councilor in last year’s election, filed a petition seeking the disqualification of Rosal on the grounds of vote buying under the Omnibus Election Code.

On Thursday, Rosal’s supporters attended a thanksgiving Mass and a program in the city to celebrate the high court’s order.

“I immediately knelt down and cried when I heard [the decision] because I never expected that it would be granted. We were just praying for a peaceful situation,” said Maria Victoria Goyena, 61, one of Rosal’s supporters.

Goyena, a resident of Barangay Bonot, has been attending the daily prayer rallies staged by Rosal’s supporters since Monday.

Former Albay Gov. Noel Rosal, the mayor’s husband, thanked the high court for issuing the order.

“God is good and [He] answered [our] prayers and the way I see it, there’s really a need for the Supreme Court to issue [the status quo ante order]. This is an incredible decision thank you so much,” said Noel, who was unseated in December last year over the same disqualification case arising from vote buying filed against his wife.

Rosal, facing the crowd at the thanksgiving event, told her supporters: “We love you so much for the support. Thank you for all your effort and love.”

“With the release of the status quo ante order, [it only shows that our] justice system is really working. We can [now] move on and continue the projects and programs for the welfare of the people,” she said.

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