Comelec cancels Wakee’s mayoral dreams

BOXING promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud is out of the mayoralty race in Cordova town, Cebu.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) granted the petition of Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy to cancel Salud’s Certificate of Candidacy (COC).

The Comelec’s second division in Manila ruled that Salud’s evidence was insufficient to prove that he already abandoned his house in barangay Punta Princesa in Cebu City for him to be considered a resident of Cordova town.

“It can be inferred that respondent (Salud) only intends to stay in Cordova, Cebu momentarily as he treated the place as a rest house during his weekend visits. There is no showing that respondent actually abandoned his residence in Punta Princesa, Cebu City as he does not deny that he lives therein up to this date,” said the resolution signed by Comelec presiding commissioner Lucenito Tagle, and commissioners Elias Yusoph and Ma. Gracia Padaca.

The Comelec ordered Salud’s COC cancelled. This excludes him from the mayoral race in the May 13, 2013 elections.

The poll body said Salud’s claim of residency in barangay Cogon, Cordova as well as his eligibility to run for office was a “false material representation”.

Salud’s lawyer Filmore Gomos said they will file a motion for reconsideratiion as soon as they receive a copy of the ruling.

Salud said he has been a resident of Cordova since June 2011 when he rented a house owned by Marcosa Dinoy and bought a 2,000 square meter lot in the town in July 2013.

He also claimed to have established a business enterprise in San Miguel, Cordova under the name of RWS Diamond Lumber Supply.

Salud lost his earlier case with the Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Consolacion where the judge ruled against him after an occular inspection of the rented house showed a small bedroom, a bed with no mattress, and an address that Salud himself had difficulty locating./REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL