Bets to opponents: We are qualified

CEBU, Philippines — “Prove it.”

Re-electionists Provincial Board member Jose Mari Salvador for the second district and Argao councilor Venerando Ramoncito Villaflor have asked their respective opponents in the May 13 elections to substantiate their claims on the disqualification cases filed against each of them.

Lawyer Magnificus Cañete, who is representing both of them, said Salvador and Villaflor are qualified to run for elective posts, contrary to the allegations of complainants Vip Semilla and Geymart Pamat.

Semilla, a resident of Argao, who is running for the Provincial Board against Salvador, claimed the latter is disqualified to run for an elective position for having dual citizenship in violation of Section 40 of the Local Government Code.

Cañete said it is true Salvador, a registered nurse, once had dual citizenship. Salvador applied for and received US citizenship after he migrated to the US, but in July 25, 2008, Salvador re-acquired his Filipino citizenship after he took an oath of allegiance and filed other pertinent documents.

When Salvador ran for the Provincial Board for the second district and filed his certificate of candidacy before the Commission on Elections Cebu in 2015, he attached his oath of allegiance and affidavit of renunciation of his American citizenship, Cañete said.

Cañete said they had filed their answer last Thursday to the disqualification case filed by Semilla after they received Comelec’s order directing them to file their answer within five days.

Meanwhile, Villaflor is not a permanent resident of the US, said Cañete.

Pamat, a resident of Tulic, Argao, Cebu, alleged Villaflor should be disqualified for violation of Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code as amended, in relation to Section 40 of the Local Government Code.

Pamat attached in his petition the alleged travel records of Villaflor to and from the US and the Philippines between 2007 and 2018. However, Cañete said Pamat also mentioned in his petition that the Bureau of Immigration denied his request to have official travel records of the latter, pursuant to the Data Privacy Act.

Cañete added they were not afraid to commit any violation in obtaining the alleged travel records.

“They have zero documents to prove that Villaflor is a resident of US,” he said. Granting that they have, he challenged them to present evidence and present the greencard which they highlighted in the petition.

“Kuwang ni silag research, it’s part of their propaganda,” he said, adding Tuesday they also filed their answer to negate the accusations of Pamat. — BRP (FREEMAN)