The Supreme Court (SC) issued last July 12 an order that effectively stopped re-electionist Romeo M. Jalosjos Jr. from assuming his post as congressional representative for the first district of Zamboanga del Norte.
In a resolution released by the SC’s public information (PIO) late Thursday afternoon, July 21, the High Court granted the plea of Jalosjos Jr.’s rival, Roberto “Pinpin” T. Uy to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from crediting in favor of the former (Jalosjos Jr.) the 5,424 votes of Frederico P. Jalosjos who had been declared a nuisance candidate in the last May 9 local and national elections.
The SC resolution stated:
“Acting on the petition for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus... with Urgent Prayer for the Issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and/or Status Quo Ante Order /Writ of Preliminary Injunction... the Court resolved without giving due course to the petitions to ... issue a Status Quo Ante Order requiring parties to observe the Status Quo prevailing before the issuance of the order dated May 12, 2022 and resolution dated June 7, 2022 of respondent Commission on Elections (Comelec)....”
The SC ordered the Comelec and Jalosjos Jr. to comment on Uy’s petition within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of the resolution.
Uy told the SC he garnered 69,591 votes compared to Jalosjos Jr.’s 69,109 votes. He said his proclamation was stopped by the Comelec pending the resolution of Jalosjos Jr.’s petition to declare Frederico a nuisance candidate.
After the Comelec declared Frederico a nuisance candidate last June 7, it credited Frederico’s votes in favor of Jalosjos Jr. that led to the latter’s proclamation as the duty-elected representative for Zamboanga de Norte’s first district.