The congressional bid of controversial Pharmally Biological Company executive Rose Nono Lin has been questioned anew, this time by a Quezon City resident who sought her disqualification as candidate for lack fo residency.
Through her lawyer Ma. Lourdes Fugoso-Alcain, QC voter Annalou Apelado has petitioned the Commission on Elections to deny due course or cancel the certificate of candidacy filed by Lin who is seeking a congressional seat in the city's 5th district.
“Respondent perjured herself when she swore to the truth of her statement in her Certificate of Candidacy of being a resident of the 5th District of Quezon City for more than a year when in truth and in fact she has failed to satisfy the one-year residence requirement under the law,” said Apelado in her petition.
It may be recalled that Lin was the resource person in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on the Pharmally scandal who tried to convince having no knowledge as to why luxury vehicles cited in the hearing were registered under her name.
“Natagpuan ko po iyan sa garahe po namin dahil hindi po ako mahilig sa sasakyan. Okay na po sa akin basta po tumatakbo at may masakyan po ako papunta sa opisina (I just found it in our garage because I am not fond of vehicles. It’s fine with me so long as the car can take me to the office),” she said when asked by Gordon about the P8.8 million Lexus she allegedly owned.
Last week, the Lakas-CMD headquarters withdrew the Certificate of Candidacy and Acceptance it issued to Lin because she resigned from the party after filing the CONA.
She is currently without a party although the QC team of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas presidential aspirant included her as its congressional bet for the fifth district.
Lin is seeking to replace Rep. Alfred Vargas who will no longer be eligible for re-election for having served the three-term limit for elective officials.
Running against Lin are Vargas’ younger brother, Patrick Michael Vargas and former Rep. Mary Ann Susano.
In the petition, Apelado cited certification issued by the Office of the Barangay Chairman of San Bartolome which stated that there is “no Rose Nono Lin registered as a resident” of the said barangay.
“Her failure to establish her residence in the 5th District of Quezon City was likewise stressed out by the Election Registration Board(QC-ERB) which denied Respondent’s registration as a voter in the 5th District of Quezon City, by way of transfer from her previous registration in Hongkong in a resolution dated 08 June 2021,” Apelado stated.
She added that Lin had “committed a material misrepresentation in her COC” by stating that she is a resident of the 5th District for more than a year.
Previous to this, the QC-ERB disapproved the application for registration as voter of the fifth district.
QC-ERB records showed that Lin was able to submit a barangay certificate of residency but the Comelec body rejected the documents which was submitted after the San Bartolome barangay chairman had already issued an earlier certificate denying that the Pharmally executive was a resident.
“The board is not naive. We take the second Barangay Certification as a recantation of the first Certification. As held in various jurisprudence, it is a dangerous rule to set aside an earlier admission simply because the person who has admitted the facts later on changed his or her mind,” the board chaired by Election Officer Maria. Liza Carpina-Torres stated.
The local Comelec body also pointed out that upon review of the documents submitted by the complainant, the poll officials noted that the electric and other utility bills were not even named to Rose Nono Lin who had already gained possession of the property Lin at 747 Quirino Highway, San Bartolome, Quezon City.
The QC-ERB stressed that mere transfer of the title of a purchased property is not a measure of residency.