Doubts raised on Marinduque poll case signature drive

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said he was still studying the impact on the House of the Supreme Court decision upholding the disqualification of Regina Reyes as representative of Marinduque as the candidate who had been declared representative of the province’s lone district expressed apprehension over a signature campaign purportedly in support of Reyes.

On Dec. 3, the Supreme Court denied with finality Reyes’ appeal for a reversal of an earlier court decision that upheld a Comelec ruling disqualifying her as a candidate for a House seat and proclaiming Lord Allan Velasco as Marinduque representative.

The Comelec found Reyes to be not a natural born Filipino and to lack the residency requirement to run for a House seat.

Velasco had written Belmonte seeking recognition as the province’s representative, but the Speaker said Reyes’ lawyer also wrote to him insisting that Reyes is the Marinduque representative.

“I think if we’re given a little time to study it, everybody’s the winner,” Belmonte said in a press briefing.

In a statement, Velasco said he is apprehensive over a signature campaign purportedly in support of Reyes that was initiated by Rep. Reynaldo Umali, who is also leading a campaign to file an impeachment case against Supreme Court justices over the Development Acceleration Program (DAP).

Velasco said the gathering of signatures may be used to support the impeachment drive.

The resolution said the House reiterates “adherence to the time-honored principle on the exclusivity of HRET (House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal) over all contests relating to election returns and qualifications of its members.”

The HRET, the resolution said, is “the proper, legal and constitutional body that should deliberate on the case of Rep. Regina Ongsiako Reyes and only the resolution of the HRET will be legally binding.”

According to Velasco, the signature gathering started on Dec. 9. He said congressmen were given copies of the resolution but the paper on which they affixed their signatures is blank and was not attached to the resolution.

Umali and Reyes have secured 72 signatures, according to Velasco.

He said the paper containing the signatures of the congressmen may be later used to support an impeachment case against Supreme Court justices.