LUCENA CITY, Philippines – An estimated 6,000 supporters of ousted Mayor Barbara Ruby Talaga gathered in front of the old city hall building here Wednesday night for a vigil and prayer rally.
The vigil was held for fair and peaceful proceedings at the Supreme Court (SC) on the petition to unseat Talaga as city’s chief executive.
In a 26-page decision issued last Oct. 9, the SC said Talaga’s substitution for her husband Ramon, who was disqualified before the 2010 elections, was invalid. It also installed Vice Mayor Roderick Alcala based on the rule of succession.
In an interview with reporters before she spoke at the rally, Talaga said she has the option to file a motion for reconsideration.
“I fully respect Vice Mayor Alcala but he should not be encroaching and hankering for the position that he did not run for in the first place,” Talaga said.
Alcala said he would wait for instructions from the Department of the Interior and Local Government.