The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has still included the name of Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro as a candidate for congressman of the city’s 1st District, amid the resumption of ballot printing for the 2025 elections on Monday.
Comelec chairman George Garcia clarified on Monday that the names of candidates with pending motions and disqualifications, including Teodoro, are retained on the ballot.
“Hindi lang siya (Teodoro); iyong lahat ng kandidato na may pending motions, pending disqualification, hangga’t walang desisyon ang commission en banc ay kasama ang pangalan nila sa listahan. Kasama na rin po iyong nakakuha ng temporary restraining order,” Garcia said during a press conference at the National Printing Office (NPO).
(Not only him (Teodoro); all candidates with pending motions, pending disqualification, until the commission en banc makes a decision, their names will be included in the list. It also includes those who obtained a temporary restraining order.)
The poll body earlier ruled that Teodoro misrepresented his place of residence when he said he had transferred his residence back to a barangay in the first district from his former residence in a barangay in the second district.
The Comelec first division noted that his legal documents indicated Teodoro’s continued residence in the second district.
“Hangga’t walang final and executory decision ang Comelec, lahat ng pangalan nila ay nandiyan. At kung walang desisyon pagdating ng eleksyon, lahat ng boto sa kanila ay will be considered as valid votes,” he added.
(As long as the Comelec does not have a final and executory decision, all their names are there. And if there is no decision when the election comes, all their votes will be considered as valid votes.)
In a previous interview, Garcia said the body can only remove a candidate’s name from the ballot if the Comelec en Banc’s decision becomes final with a corresponding certificate of finality.
He also previously raised the possibility that the Comelec en banc could reverse the division's decision if Teodoro can present new arguments or evidence in his motion for reconsideration.
The printing of ballots was delayed for three weeks due to temporary restraining orders issued by the Supreme Court on the petitions of several disqualified candidates.
The SC granted TROs prohibiting the Comelec from declaring Subair Guinthum Mustapha and Charles Savellano as nuisance candidates in their bid to run for the Senate and as Ilocos Sur 1st District representative, respectively.
The SC also granted a TRO in favor of Chito Bulatao Balintay, a member of the indigenous peoples of Zambales, who filed a petition challenging the Comelec’s resolution rejecting his application, which prevented him from filing his COC for Zambales governor.
Also, the SC granted TROs in favor of Edgar Erice, who was disqualified by the Comelec in his bid as representative of Caloocan City’s 2nd District, and Florendo de Ramos Ritualo Jr. who is challenging the Comelec resolution canceling his COC for City Council member for San Juan City’s 1st District.