House seeks special elections to replace Teves 

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has called on the Commission on Elections to hold a special election to replace the seat vacated by expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr.

The lower chamber on Tuesday adopted House Resolution 1212, which certified “to the existence of a vacancy” in the third congressional district of Negros Oriental. The resolution was authored by House Speaker Martin Romualdez and other House leaders.

Teves was expelled from the House on August 16 due to his extended unauthorized absence, inappropriate conduct on social media and his application for political asylum, which lawmakers interpreted as an act seeking to abandon public office.

The expulsion of the embattled lawmaker comes after he was slapped with two consecutive 60-day suspensions. 

He has refused to return to the country due to what he described as threats to his and his family’s safety following allegations that he had plotted to kill the late Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.

The authors of the resolution said the vacancy in Negros Oriental’s third district was created due to the expulsion of Teves “for disorderly behavior and violation of Section 141 (a) and (b), Rule XX of the Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives, by the requisite vote of two-thirds of all its members as provided for in the Constitution.”

According to the resolution, Teves’ vacancy has left the constituency of the province’s third legislative district “without representation in the House of Representatives of the Congress of the Philippines.”

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia, responding to inquiries on the possibility of special elections, said that the poll body was ready to conduct polls as requested by the House.

“If we will be directed…we will comply with haste,” he said.