Supreme Court reinstates Yap as Tarlac City mayor

The Supreme Court (SC) has reinstated Susan Yap-Sulit as the mayor of Tarlac City in a 17-page decision posted on 31 July 2026.

According to the SC En Banc, Yap is eligible to be elected mayor and has upheld her proclamation as mayor.

The decision settled the legal dispute over Yap's residency qualification and upholding the mandate given by Tarlac voters in the 2025 elections.

The said ruling reversed the earlier decision by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, voiding her proclamation on grounds that she did not meet the one-year residency requirement in Tarlac City.

A status quo ante order was previously issued by the court, allowing Yap to remain in office while the case was under review, preserving the situation before the Comelec’s disqualification order took effect.

"It has been decided, Salamat," Yap said.