THE Supreme Court yesterday issued a status quo ante order stopping Romeo Jalosjos Jr. from assuming his post as representative of the first district of Zamboanga del Norte.
In issuing the order, the high court granted the petition filed by the camp of Roberto Uy Jr., who was Jalosjos’ rival in the May 9 election, which sought to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from crediting 5,424 votes cast for Frederico Jalosjos to the respondent.
Frederico Jalosjos was declared by the Comelec as a nuisance candidate.
Jalosjos Jr. is the son of former congressman and convicted child rapist Romeo Jalosjos.
“Acting on the petition for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus with urgent prayer for the Issuance of a temporary restraining order and/or status quo ante order /writ of preliminary injunction, the Court resolved, without giving due course to the petitions, to issue a status quo ante order requiring parties to observe the status quo prevailing before the issuance of the order dated May 12, 2022 and resolution dated June 7, 2022 of respondent Commission on Elections,” said the four-page Court en Banc resolution signed by Clerk of Court Marife Lomibao-Cuevas.
The SC also directed respondents Comelec and Jalosjos Jr. to comment on Uy’s petition within a “non-extendible period of 10 days.”
In his petition, Uy argued that he won the race for representative of Zamboanga del Norte garnering 69, 591 votes while Jalosjos Jr. got 69,109 votes.
He said his proclamation was stopped by the poll body on May 12 pending the resolution of Jalosjos Jr’s petition to declare Frederico as a nuisance candidate.
On June 7, the poll body declared Frederico as a nuisance candidate and credited his votes to Jalosjos Jr., effectively overturning Uy’s lead.
On June 8, Uy filed a motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order to stop the Comelec’s action.
The Comelec issued a notice of certificate of finality on June 14 as it denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Frederico and declared him a nuisance candidate.
The poll body then also issued a writ of execution directing the Provincial Board of Canvassers to reconvene on June 23 and proclaim Jalosjos Jr. as the duly elected representative of the first district of Zamboanga del Norte.
Uy subsequently elevated the matter before the SC.
The leadership of the House of Representatives or the camp of Jalosjos Jr. has yet to respond to the SC order.
