SC unseats Lucena mayor

Lucena City, Philippines – The Supreme Court  (SC) has issued a final notice of judgment unseating this city’s incumbent mayor.

In a 26-page decision dated Oct. 9, the SC annulled the election and proclamation of Barbara Talaga as city mayor, canceling the certificate of canvass that declared her winner in the 2010 elections.

Vice Mayor Roderick Alcala received the SC ruling last week granting his petition through a Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution that ordered him to succeed Talaga under the rule on succession.

“We are only waiting for the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement the order… I still have six months remaining in the post to impose good governance in the city government and eradicate red tape,” Alcala said. 

Alcala assumed that the DILG would implement the order on Nov. 9 after Talaga has filed her motion for reconsideration within 15 days.

“They should not attempt to take over the mayoralty seat without a writ of execution,” said former Lucena mayor Ramon Talaga on the SC decision unseating his wife.

Mrs. Talaga substituted for her husband six days before the May 10, 2010 elections after he was disqualified.

Talaga asserted that his wife’s substitution was legal and valid and that the SC itself issued a status quo ante (in favor of Talaga) in June 2011 when Talaga’s mayoral opponent, Philip Castillo, questioned before the Comelec her status as city mayor despite the petition for intervention filed by Alcala.

Talaga said they would uphold the SC decision “once it is final and executory.”