Comelec en banc denies MR of Albay governor's disqualification
By Dhel Nazario
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc denied on Friday, Nov. 18 the Motion for Reconsideration (MR) filed by Albay Governor Noel Rosal in relation to the petition for disqualification filed against him.

Rosal was found liable by the Comelec First Division for violating Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) or the 45-day spending ban.
In a statement released by Comelec Spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco, the Comelec en banc denied the MR in a resolution promulgated on Nov. 18, Friday. He said that the denied MR sought to assail the resolution of the First Division promulgated on Sept. 19 which granted the petition to disqualify Rosal.
In this latest resolution, Laudiangco mentioned that the en banc "found no cogent reason to reverse the findings" of the First Division as it "neither contains any new matter or issues, nor was it able to establish the Assailed Resolution was based on insufficient evidence or that the same is contrary to law."
In the petition filed by Joseph San Juan Armogila, he detailed that the respondents violated Sections a, l, b, o, and v of the Omnibus Election Code which includes the prohibited acts that would be categorized as election offenses.
Laudiangco said before in a statement that Rosal cannot yet be removed from office and implement the disqualification without a Certificate of Finality and a corresponding Writ of Execution.
"The en banc’s decision is final, but has yet to become final and executory. Gov. Rosal may elevate the matter to the SC via a seasonably filed petition for certiorari," he stated.
"The Comelec en banc’s decision becomes final and executory either via a final decision of the SC, or the aggrieved party’s failure to seasonably file a petition for certiorari," he added.