Team Rama seeks Pe's removal as councilor

 CEBU, Philippines - Aside from asking the Commission on Elections to disqualify Cebu City Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. from seeking reelection, Team Rama will also be asking the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to remove him from his present post.

Delon Urot, one of Team Rama's lawyers said that Pe transferred his residence from the north district to the south district, which means he is no longer fit to continue serving as councilor representing the North District.

Pe has filed his certificate of candidacy for councilor in the South District under Bando-Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

Mayor Michael Rama's group filed a petition for disqualification and cancellation of certificate of candidacy against Pe before the Comelec-Manila last Tuesday.

Urot said Pe is already barred from seeking another term as councilor because it is a violation of the term limit provided for in the Constitution.

Section 8, Article 10 of the Constitution clearly provides that "the term of office of elective local officials, except barangay officials, shall be three years and such official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms."

The Local Government Code also provides that "no local elective official shall serve for more than three consecutive terms in the same position."

Team Rama insisted that even if Pe is running for councilor in the south district, he is still a councilor of Cebu City.

Former city councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, also a Team Rama lawyer, challenged his former colleague, Hilario Davide III, who is now the provincial chairman of the Liberal Party in Cebu to implement the "Daang Matuwid" policy of President Aquino.

 "I'm challenging Junjun Davide as LP provincial chairman to implement the policy of President Aquino, ang Daang Matuwid, and let Jun Pe and Yayoy Alcoseba follow the good example he did in 2009 by resigning as city councilor when he transferred his voter's registration in Argao," Pesquera said.

Alcoseba, also a member of BOPK, transferred his voters registration in Carcar and is running for a seat in the Provincial Board.

However, he still reports for work at his office in the Cebu City Hall.

But both Alcoseba and Pe had told the reporters in a previous interview that they are ready to quit from their positions if they will be required by the Comelec or the DILG.

Urot said even the Supreme Court ruled that term limit for the elective officials should be strictly implemented in order to "open public office to others and bring fresh ideas and energies into government as a matter of policy."

Meanwhile, Hanz Abella, one of the candidates for councilor under Team Rama filed a petition before the Comelec-Manila seeking to declare a certain Bert Abella as a nuisance candidate for councilor because he is not capable of a massive campaign.  (FREEMAN)