Comelec urged to fasttrack San Juan recall polls

MANILA, Philippines — Former San Juan vice mayor Francis Zamora and his supporters staged a prayer vigil in front of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Manila yesterday to call on the poll body to fasttrack the recall elections for the city.

Citing sources, Zamora said the Comelec en banc voted on March 20 to deny the motion for reconsideration filed by Mayor Guia Gomez to stop the recall elections and accused Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of failing to release the ruling.

He said Guanzon’s middle name is Gomez but did not say whether the two women are related.

Zamora said the Comelec found the petition signed by 30,000 San Juan voters sufficient in form and substance on Nov. 16, 2017 but Gomez received the ruling by mail only on Jan. 18 after eight failed tries by the Comelec’s local election officer to serve her the ruling.

The same day, Gomez’s camp filed a motion for reconsideration. This was raffled off to Guanzon, who took two months to rule on the issue, Zamora alleged.

Citing sources, Zamora said Guanzon did not participate in the Nov. 16, 2017 vote but voted in favor of Gomez’s motion last March 20. Guanzon denied Zamora’s allegations.

“We are not duty-bound to explain anything in public to a litigant. This case is pending in the Commission en banc. Francis Zamora must respect the rules of the Commission en banc,” she said. 

Guanzon said Zamora should have sought her inhibition from the case if he thought she was partial to Gomez. 

She said Zamora has subjected her to public ridicule and bullying, adding that she is concerned his supporters would harm her. – Sheila Crisostomo