THE Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining and status quo ante order preventing the Commission on Elections from executing its ruling disqualifying Agoo, La Union mayor Frank Ong Sibuma, the winner in the May 9 mayoralty race.
The en banc decision dated July 5 but only made public yesterday stopped the Comelec from proclaiming Sibuma’s rival, Stefanie Ann Eriguel Calongcagon as the town mayor.
Sibuma garnered 21,364 votes against Calongcagon’s 16,603 votes in the May elections.
Calongcagon is the daughter of former 2nd District Rep. Sandra Eriguel, who also lost by a wide margin in the May polls to Rep. Dante Garcia, an ally of the Sibumas.
The SC also directed the Comelec, Eriguel Calongcagon and petitioner Alma Panelo to file their comment within a “non-extendible period of 10 days” upon receipt of the order.
The special second division of the Comelec had earlier directed the Agoo municipal board of canvassers to annul the proclamation of Sibuma, granting a petition to cancel his certificate of candidacy over questions of residency.
Panelo claimed Sibuma committed material misrepresentation by claiming that he had been living in Agoo for one year and three months before the May 9 elections. Panelo said Sibuma is a resident of the neighboring town of Aringay.
