December special polls to replace Teves eyed

MANILA, Philippines — A special election may be held in the third district of Negros Oriental in December to replace expelled congressman Arnold Teves Jr.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said the special election would be conducted after the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in October.

Garcia said there is no more time for the Comelec to conduct the special polls simultaneous with the BSKE.

The poll body received Wednesday night a letter from the House of Representatives calling for a special election to fill  the vacancy left by Teves.

In case of vacancies, the Comelec is mandated to conduct special elections one year before the next regular election.

The House voted to expel Teves last week for “disorderly behavior” and “violation of the Code of Conduct” of the chamber.

Teves had earlier been slapped with two 60-day suspensions when he failed to return to the Philippines after his travel clearance to the US expired amid accusations that he was the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo.

An 18-page report of the House committee on ethics and privileges noted that Teves’ absence and “continuous pursuit” of his application for political asylum in Timor-Leste were “tantamount to abandonment of his public office.”

It also cited Teves’ designation as a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council.