CEBU CITY – Contrary to several online posts, reelectionist Leyte fourth district Rep. Richard Gomez has not been disqualified from the midterm elections.
GOMEZ (FB)
The Commission on Elections-Eastern Visayas (Comelec-8) made the clarification after some Facebook posts claimed that Gomez has been barred from running in May.
“Negative,” said Comelec-8 Regional Director Atty. Remlane Tambuang when asked if they have received a disqualification order against Gomez.
The Comelec-8 should have already been made aware if a disqualification order against Gomez has been issued, Tambuang said.
“The first to know if such an order exists are the involved parties and of course, us here in the Comelec-8,” Tambuang said.
Tambuang advised the public not to believe what they see on social media right away. “Let us not believe right away because there is a lot of fake news,” Tambuang said.
Gomez is facing a disqualification case filed before the Comelec Central Office in Manila by Palompon, Leyte mayoral bet Ramon Oñate.
Oñate said the petition for disqualification against Gomez 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 respondent'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 the general conduct of the election."
In the petition, 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.
Oñate added that despite the "falsity and alarming nature of the claims," the respondent "maliciously propagated, amplified, bumped up" by sharing/reposting said "scathing" reports in his official Facebook page/official campaign platform.