Comelec junks petition for Isabela mayor’s recall

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has affirmed the recommendation of the city election registrar’s office to junk the recall petition filed against city mayor Amelita Navarro.

In a Comelec resolution promulgated Nov. 8, poll officials led by Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, upheld the recommendation of the city election office to junk the petition for Navarro’s recall in an election.

The poll body said the petitioners failed to obtain the required number of signatures, which is 20 percent of signatures from the city’s total registered voters.

Based on the Comelec’s findings, there were 13,831 actual signatures supporting the recall petition. However, after verifications, it was reduced to 8,917, or 822 short of the required number to warrant the approval for a recall election.

The Comelec verification committee has annulled 2,472 signatures as they do not belong to registered voters of this city. Another 330 were also found to be multiple entries while 51 signatures were deemed not readable. Another 10 names were annulled as there were no accompanying signatures. Around 2,501 have also withdrawn support to the petition. — Charlie Lagasca