MANILA, Philippines — The First Division of the Fee on Elections (Comelec) has preserved the established order within the vice mayoral publish of Rosales in Pangasinan after a court docket dominated that the opponent of the incumbent vice mayor was the successful candidate within the 2025 midterm elections following a guide recount.
In a call dated Wednesday, the Comelec First Division granted the petition filed by John Isaac Kho, the incumbent vice mayor of Rosales, in search of the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction to forestall the implementation of the ruling of Regional Trial Courtroom Department 53 (RTC Department 53), which voided Kho’s proclamation.
Susan Casareno, who positioned second within the vice mayoral race, filed an election protest alleging “fraud, anomalies, and irregularities” in the course of the polls, together with inaccurate studying and counting of votes by automated counting machines, discrepancies within the precise votes solid, and unaccounted votes.
READ: Elected officers urged to again political dynasty ban, make sacrifices
After recounting votes in all precincts, the court docket stated Casareno garnered 20,705 votes, whereas Kho obtained 18,730 votes. The court docket declared Casareno the duly elected vice mayor and dominated that Kho’s proclamation was “null and void” and of “no drive and impact.”
In granting Kho’s petition, the Comelec First Division stated “it seems that nice and irreparable harm would outcome to petitioner earlier than the problem could be resolved,” including that it discovered the problems raised by Kho to be “very critical.”
“Contemplating that the deserves of the case will probably be resolved in due time, and that the curiosity of justice wouldn’t be greatest served if the problems are rendered moot and tutorial, the Fee (First Division), following the dictates of prudence and truthful play, hereby grants, pending decision of the primary petition, the injunctive reduction prayed for by the petitioner,” the choice learn.
READ: Comelec junks Jonas Cortes election protest
The First Division directed Choose Roselyn Andrada-Borja, presiding choose of RTC Department 53, and all individuals underneath her supervision to stop and desist from implementing the court docket choices dated Nov. 28, 2025, and Dec. 1, 2025.
“Let the Clerk of Courtroom of the Fee difficulty a writ of preliminary injunction, upon petitioner’s posting of a bond within the quantity of One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00), which shall reply for damages that the personal respondent could maintain by cause of this injunction whether it is lastly determined that petitioner isn’t entitled thereto,” the ruling acknowledged.
In the meantime, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco stated the First Division’s ruling should still be appealed earlier than the Comelec en banc. /jpv
Your subscription couldn’t be saved. Please strive once more.
Your subscription has been profitable.
