SC unseats Palawan vice gov

A week before the midterm polls, the Supreme Court announced its decision to unseat Palawan Vice Gov. Clara Espiritu-Reyes after affirming the Commission on Elections' decision invalidating her certificate of candidacy (COC) in the 2010 elections.

The vice governor is the wife of former Gov. Joel Reyes, a suspect in the slay of environmentalist and broadcaster Gerry Ortega.

The poll body earlier ordered the invalidation of Clara's COC for the vice gubernatorial post in the May 10, 2010 elections due to her failure to substantiate her claim that she is a permanent resident of Barangay Tigman, Aborlan, Palawan.

The Comelec 2nd Division found Reyes guilty of "material misrepresentation" in her COC. She filed pleas before the poll body to reconsider its decision but subsequent denials prompted her to elevate the case to the SC.

The SC issued a resolution stating that it found no grave avuse of discretion on the part of Comelec in its rulings.

"Accordingly, the resolutions dated May 5, 2010 and July 12, 2010 of the Comelec 2nd Division and the Comelec en banc, respectively, are hereby affirmed. The status quo ante order dated July 27, 2010 is hereby lifted," the SC said, referring to the ruling in favor of Clara.