ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 16, 2013) – Former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos, Sr. who was convicted of statutory rape, and his younger brother Dominador, also convicted of robbery, were both barred from running in the mid-term elections in the Philippines, reports said.
It said the Commission on Elections has cancelled the candidacy certificates of the two brothers – with the elder Jalosjos running for mayor in Zamboanga City, and his brother for governor in Zamboanga del Sur province.
“In two separate resolutions promulgated January 15, the Comelec unanimously cancelled the certificates of candidacy of the Jalosjos brothers. In one of the resolutions, the poll body said the Commission is under a legal duty to abide by the final judgment issued by the judiciary,” according to a report by television giant GMA News.
It quoted lawyer Sixto Brillantes, the chairman of the Commission on Elections, as saying that the Regional Trial Court of Zamboanga City found out the elder Jalosjos whose lifetime sentence was commuted to 16 years in 2007 by then-President Gloria Arroyo, was not a resident of Zamboanga.
“Nagkaroon ng findings ang RTC Zamboanga kay Romy Jalosjos na hindi siya resident ng Zamboanga. Therefore, he is not registered… kaya tinanggal na namin sya sa listahan kahapon,” Brillantes said, adding Jalosjos cannot run for mayor unless he files a petition with the Supreme Court.
The Local Government Code requires that any political candidates should be a registered voter in the place he or she is seeking elective post.
The younger Jalosjos was also disqualified to run after the Supreme Court affirmed a decision of a court in Cebu convicting him of robbery. “We are implementing it so he cannot run for governor of Zamboanga del Sur. It’s part of the perpetual disqualification,” Brillantes said.
The law bars a convict from running for public office.
But Jalosjos’ supporters said he is likely to bring the matter to the Supreme Court and if worse comes to worst, he may support Zamboanga City Rep. Erico Fabian, who is also running for the mayoralty post against former political ally Zamboanga City Rep. Maria Isabelle Salazar.
Jalosjos’ group is allied with the United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Last year, Municipal Trial Court Judge Nancy Cuaresma, in a 16-page resolution, said (Romeo) Jalosjos cannot exercise the right of suffrage or the right to vote because he is disqualified.
“Jalosjos is not qualified to and cannot vote or be voted upon in any national or local elections until his perpetual absolute disqualification s are expressly remitted and restored by pardon,” the judge said.
The Regional Trial Court also upheld the court ruling.
The aging political kingpin, who was convicted in 1997 for raping an 11-year old girl, was able to register with the Commission on Elections in Zamboanga City, but this was opposed by Salazar on the grounds that the former politician is disqualified to register as a new voter here because of his conviction.
Jalosjos, who was convicted with two counts of statutory rape and six counts of acts of lasciviousness, insisted his right to suffrage, adding he had served his sentence.
But Salazar said Jalosjos who was sentenced to suffer “reclusion perpetua” and “reclusion temporal” for each count of his crimes, is not qualified to run. The penalty for reclusion perpetua shall be from 20 years, while reclusion temporal is from 12 years. And Salazar said Jalosjos was granted a mere commutation of sentence by then President Gloria Arroyo in 2007 which resulted in the reduction of his original sentence.
Official records with the Bureau of Corrections also show that Jalosjos was discharged from the National Bilibid Prison only on March 18, 2009, less than the 5-year period prescribed under the Voter’s Registration Act, according to Salazar.
The Election Registration Board also ruled in favor of Salazar, who is also gunning for the mayoralty post in Zamboanga.
“The decision of the Honorable Court serves to strengthen our faith in our justice system. With this, we will continue our advocacy of protecting the electoral system from unqualified or ineligible voters and candidates alike, whose participation in the election would only serve to desecrate and insult the electoral system whose sanctity we seek to preserve,” Salazar said. (With reports from GMA News, Mindanao Examiner)
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