SC allows Tarlac Mayor Susan Yap-Sulit to stay in post pending appeal

The Supreme Court (SC) en banc has issued a status quo ante order in the disqualification case versus Tarlac City Mayor Susan Areno Yap-Sulit, effectively allowing her to remain in office while her appeal is pending.

The high bench issued the order in connection with G.R. No. E-03037 (Susan Areno Yap-Sulit v. Commission on Elections, Amado S. De Leon and Jay-Ar Capulong Navarro), temporarily reversing the effect of a recent ruling by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc.

The petition for certiorari was filed by Yap-Sulit with the SC, challenging the Comelec en banc resolution dated 22 October 2025, which disqualified her as mayor of Tarlac City.

The status quo ante order was issued by the SC to maintain the situation between the parties prior to the issuance of the Comelec en banc resolution.

The legal challenge against Yap-Sulit stems from a petition filed by Amado S. De Leon and Jay-Ar Capulong Navarro before the elections.

The petitioners claimed Yap-Sulit was not a resident of Tarlac City for at least one year prior to the 2025 polls, a mandatory requirement for the post.

The Second Division of the poll body dismissed the petition and allowed Yap-Sulit to run and subsequently be proclaimed as Tarlac City mayor.

On 22 October 2025, in a subsequent resolution, the Comelec en banc reversed the Second Division’s ruling and ordered Yap-Sulit’s disqualification.

The SC directed respondents Comelec, De Leon, and Navarro to file their comment on the petition within a non-extendible period of ten days from notice.