SC asks House to answer petition to delist Marinduque lawmaker from roster

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court gave the House of Representatives through Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to answer the petition of a son of a Supreme Court Justice to delist Regina Ongsiako-Reyes as Marinduque representative and respect the high court’s ruling disqualifying her in the last election.

Lord Allan Jay Velasco, son of Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, in his petition wants the high court to compel Congress to administer his oath as the representative of the lone district of Marinduque and compel the House Secretary General to remove Reyes from the Roll of Members in Congress.

The high court gave respondents 10 days to comment upon receipt of the order.

Velasco, in his letter to Belmonte Jr., he said the high court’s ruling disqualifying Reyes already became final after it dismissed Reyes’ second motion for reconsideration.

Reyes won for Congress during the last election. She was recognized by the House of Representatives. But she was disqualified due to her citizenship. Reyes assailed the high court’s jurisdiction saying it was the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) who should have ruled over her case.

But Velasco said Reyes should have filed her appeal with the HRET within 15 days from receipt of the Commission on Election’s ruling disqualifying her from running in the elections.

He also argued that the ruling on Wigberto R. Tañada vs. Comelec, where the Supreme Court held that HRET already has jurisdiction to determine the issues concerning the conduct of canvass and the resulting proclamation, cannot apply in their case.

He said in the earlier case, Comelec decided on the case after Tañada’s rival, Angelina Tan, was proclaimed. In theirs, Comelec already disqualified Reyes before she was proclaimed by the provincial board of canvassers.

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