COMELEC DQs QUACK DOCTOR
STAYING true to its commitment of freeing the coming 2025 national and local elections from mockery and disrepute, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last week declared as nuisance the candidacy of a local quack doctor from Cabuyao, Laguna.
The poll body’s 2nd Division made the decision after it determined that the supposed candidate allegedly filed his candidacy to cause confusion among voters by coming up with a nickname “Romeo,” which sounds similar with the name of petitioner and incumbent Gov. Ramil L. Hernandez.
“On 26 November 2024, the Commission (Second Division) promulgated a Resolution granting the instant Petition and declaring Respondent as a nuisance candidate,” the resolution read.
“In relation thereto, the Commission (Second Division) hereby CLARIFIES that the Certificate of Candidacy filed by Respondent for the position of Member, House of Representatives for the 2nd District of the Province of Laguna in the May 2025 National and Local Elections is DENIED DUE COURSE is CANCELLED,” it stated.
The resolution was signed by Comelec 2nd Division Presiding Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo and Commissioners Rey Bulay and Nelson Celis.
It was gathered that the respondent on October 8 this year filed his certificate of candidacy for the position of member of the House of Representatives for the second district of the province of Laguna in the 2025 national and local elections.
Gov. Hernandez, who is running for the same position in next year’s elections, however, was prompted to file a petition before the Comelec to declare the respondent as nuisance.
He contended that based on the sworn statements of witnesses, “it was clear that the respondent is attempting to run for office under a different name which is unfamiliar to his community.”
The poll body received the sworn affidavits of three witnesses—Christopher Lozada Barrientos, Edmon Misa Arcita and Hjan KZ Macapacial Baniaga—who are all residents of Brgy. Bigaa, Cabuyao City, Laguna.
The witnesses attested that they all personally knew respondent the respondent since they were all natives of the same barangay and that they never knew nor heard the respondent calling himself Romeo, “until he filed his candidacy for congressman” last October 8.
Barrientos stated that the respondent is widely recognized in their barangay as his name and he has never heard anyone refer to him as “Romeo,” and has been known solely by his name since childhood.
He is currently known in the community as a “manghihilot” (traditional healer).
All the witnesses also recalled that the respondent even ran and lost in the 2018 barangay elections for the position of kagawad in Brgy. Bigaa using his real name.
After careful deliberations, the Comelec’s 2nd Division granted the petition of Gov. Hernandez declaring the respondent as a nuisance candidate.
In its ruling, the Comelec said Sec. 69 of the Omnibus Election Code on nuisance candidates states that the Commission may, motu proprio or upon a verified petition of an interested party, refuse to give due course to or cancel a certificate of candidacy.
Among the considerations for declaring a candidate as nuisance are if it is shown that said certificate has been filed to put the election process in mockery or disrepute; or to cause confusion among the voters by the similarity of the names of the registered candidates.
Also to be considered are other circumstances or acts which clearly demonstrate that the candidate has no bona fide intention to run for the office for which the certificate of candidacy has been filed and thus prevent a faithful determination of the true will of the electorate.
