The Supreme Court (SC), during its full court session on Tuesday, Jan. 14, issued temporary restraining orders (TROs) in favor of five candidates who were disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the May 12 elections.
Candidates who got TROs against their disqualifications are:
- Subair Guinthum Mustapha, a senatorial candidate, who had been declared a nuisance candidate by the Comelec.
- Charles Savellano, a congressional candidate for the First District of Ilocos Sur and who had been declared a nuisance candidate.
- Chito Bulatao Balintay, a candidate for governor of Zambales and whose certificate of candidacy was rejected by the Comelec.
- Edgar R. Erice, a candidate for a congressional seat in Caloocan City’s Second District and who had been disqualified by the Comelec.
- Florendo de Ramos Ritualo Jr., a candidate for the Sangguniang Panglungsod member in San Juan City’s First District and whose certificate of candidacy (COC) was cancelled by the Comelec.
During a press briefing, SC Spokesperson lawyer Camille Sue Mae L. Ting said that in the resolutions on the petitions filed by Mustapha and Savellano, the Comelec was ordered to file its comments within a non-extendible period of five days.
However, on the petitions filed by Balintay, Erice, and Ritualo, the Comelec was given non-extendible period of 10 days to file its comments, Ting said.
The TROs issued by the SC are immediately executory.