Palompon, Leyte mayoral bet Ramon Oñate has filed a petition for disqualification against Leyte 4th district Rep. Richard Gomez before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In a 73-page document, Oñate prayed for Gomez to be disqualified for running in the May 2025 National and Local Elections as a Member, House of Representatives representing the fourth district of Leyte.
He also prayed that should the case be decided with finality before the elections, to direct the Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBOC) of the Province of Leyte to consider the votes cast in his favor as "stray" or "invalid" and proclaim the rightful.
On the other hand, in case the respondent garners the highest number of votes and the case remains unresolved, the petitioner prayed that his proclamation be suspended.
He said that the suit was pursuant to Section 1 (c) (3) (viii) of Comelec Resolution No. 11046, which contains grounds for filing a disqualification petition citing specifically: "Violated all other grounds under the Local Government Code and the Omnibus Election Code."
He stated that the petition is grounded on the respodent's act/acts which violated Section 261 (z) (11) of the OEC which states "that any person, who or for the purpose of disrupting or obstructing the election process causing confusion among the voters, propagates false and alarming reports or information or transmits or circulates false orders, directives, or messages regarding any matter relating to the printing of official ballots, the postponement of the election, the transfer of polling place or te general conduct of the election."
He stated in the petition that Gomez, through his official Facebook page "Richard 'Goma' Gomez" with 752,000 followers, shared and reposted a recorded video of a local program on March 6, 2025, with the caption, "Palompon is poised to do grave and massive election this coming May".
"The malicious and false contents propagated by the Respondent contained false and alarming reports or information relating to the general conduct of the election and other specific matters for the purpose of disrupting or obstructing the election process or causing confusion among the voters," Oñate said in the petition.
He also stated that despite the "falsity and alarming nature of the claims" the respondent "maliciously propagated, amplified, bumbped up" by sharing/reposting said "scathing" reports in his official Facebook page/official campaign platform.
"By doing so, he did not only propagate the malicious post to his followers and to all Facebook users, but he moved it to the top of the list, increasing visibility and potentially reigniting interest or conversation," he added.
Aside from this, the petitioner said that an article from the same local radio station which aired the program was shared on March 7 on Gomez' official Facebook page with a statement accompanying that says: "There is a looming massive cheating in Palompon as exposed to the people".
"Respondent now published the names of the members of the Electoral Boards serving in Palompon, Leyte on Facebook not only with the intent to publicly shame them and cast doubt on their integrity before his audience, but to open them to vicious online attack and even threats from the supporters of the Respondent and his allies," he added.
In a Viber message, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia confirmed receipt of the disqualification case.