HRET to tackle disqualification case vs Marinduque lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) voted yesterday to start hearings on the disqualification case against Marinduque Rep. Regina Reyes. 

Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan said the vote was 4-3 for the tribunal to proceed with hearing Reyes’s case, in defiance of the Supreme Court (SC) ruling to unseat the lawmaker from the chamber for allegedly being a US citizen. 

House leaders stressed the HRET has exclusive jurisdiction on electoral protests if the case was filed after the winner was proclaimed.

Reyes thanked her colleagues in the HRET   , saying she could now present her side and disprove the allegations against her. 

SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, whose son, former Marinduque congressman Lord Allan Velasco filed the protest against Reyes, chairs the HRET. 

Reyes defeated the younger Velasco by about 4,000 votes, and was proclaimed winner by the local election board.

Acting on a complaint of a private citizen, the Commission on Elections ruled shortly after Reyes’ proclamation that she is a US citizen.

Reyes, citing the dissenting opinions of other magistrates, said Velasco could have influenced the SC decision.

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno also junked Reyes’ petition to replace Velasco and Lucas Bersamin and Diosdado Peralta in the HRET due to alleged conflict of interest.