CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Elections ordered boxing promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud to submit his reply to the petition for the cancellation of his certificate of candidacy filed by Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy.
Salud has five days from receipt of the summon to answer the petition. Otherwise, he will lose the chance to submit any evidence to support him against the petition.
Sitoy filed a petition to cancel Salud’s COC last October 5 after the latter filed his COC for mayor of Cordova last October 4 despite the decision of the Regional Trial Court to uphold the initial ruling of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities’ declaring that Salud is not a registered voter of the town.
The Election Registration Board of Cordova has been asked by RTC to comment on the matter within 10 days.
Sitoy and Salud who will be battling for the mayoralty post of Cordova in the May 2013 elections will also be meeting at the Comelec Central Officer on Oct. 23.
A notice of conference was delivered yesterday through the Provincial Comelec Office stating that three matters would be discussed by both parties including the production of written authority under oath of counsel, the comparison between the certified true copies and the authenticated documents, and the setting of the period to file the parties’ respective memorandum, which shall not be later than ten days from the date of the conference.
Failure of Salud or his authorized counsel to appear during the conference would automatically have the petition submitted for resolution.
If Sitoy or his legal counsel would miss the conference, the petition will be dismissed by the commission.
Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde said they will be sending the notice and summon to both parties immediately. (FREEMAN)