Pre-trial set on petition to DQ Andales, Arcilla

CEBU, Philippines — The fate of two Cebu City councilors who are seeking reelection despite reaching the term limits now hangs in balance with the Commission on Elections.

The Comelec set next week the pre-trial conference of the petition questioning the candidacies of Councilors Sisinio Andales and Alvin Arcilla. Both were ordered to submit their memoranda before the Comelec will rule on the petition.

“We hope that the decision would be in our favor. The pre-trial hearing is set on December 19 in Manila and after that, we will submit our memoranda,” Andales said.

Last October this year, Allen Canoy, a registered voter of Barangay Apas, asked the Comelec to cancel the Certificates of Candidacy of Andales and Arcilla, both under Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK). Arcilla and Andales are now on their third and last term.

Canoy said the candidacy of Arcilla and Andales violates a provision of the 1987 Constitution and the Local Government Code on term limits.

The petition of Canoy to cancel the candidacies of the two councilors comes along with the prayer to direct the Board of Election Inspectors of Cebu City as well as the Board of Canvassers not to count any votes for the respondents.

Andales said the pre-trial is set for December 19 wherein issues will be laid out and the submission of position paper will follow. For his part, Arcilla said he has to get a copy of his position paper from his lawyer who submitted it to Comelec last Monday.

Both Andales and Arcilla hoped that they will get favorable ruling from the Comelec.

Both graduating officials contended that they are still eligible for reelection because their second term was interrupted by a suspension from the Office of the President. Andales and Arcilla were among the officials suspended in 2016 over the controversial P20,000 financial assistance to City Hall employees.

Andales and Arcilla are confident that the petition for the cancellation of their COC will be dismissed. (FREEMAN)