The Supreme Court (SC) has stopped the enforcement of a Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) order which denied the plea for substitution of candidate in the mayoralty election in Santiago City in Isabela.
In a resolution with temporary restraining order (TRO) issued last Jan. 25, stopped by the SC was the Comelec’s Dec. 22, 2021 order that denied the substitution of Amelita S. Navarro by Giorgidi B. Aggabao as candidate for mayor of Partido Para sa Demokratikong Reporma in Isabela City in the May 9 election.
The Comelec was required by the SC to comment on the petition filed last Jan. 18 by both Navarro and Aggabao within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice.
The TRO “is issued effective immediately and continuing until further orders from this Court, enjoining you, respondent Comelec, your agents, representatives, or persons acting in your place or stead, from enforcing the assailed Doc No. 21-7467 (the denial of the substitution) dated Dec. 22, 2021,” the SC ordered.
The TRO was issued by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo on written recommendation by the justice to whom the petition was raffled.
A copy of the resolution with TRO was released by SC Clerk of Court Marife M. Lomibao Cuevas.