Jalosjos Jr. backs Comelec plan vs ‘nuisance’ poll bets
AN embattled congressman-elect on Thursday vowed to push for a law mandating a 45-day time limit on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare a “nuisance” election candidate.
Embattled congressman-elect Romeo Jalosjos Jr. of the first district of Zamboanga del Norte has expressed support to the Comelec plan to move the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) to an earlier date to effectively address the recurring problem of nuisance candidates.
Jalosjos said he is planning to file a corresponding legislation at the House of Representatives if reinstated or if ever the Supreme Court (SC) would lift the status quo ante-order it issued earlier that prevented him from assuming his post.
Jalosjos emerged victorious in the May 2022 elections that pitted him against Roberto “Pinpin” Uy Jr. and one Frederico “Kuya Jun” Jalosjos Jr., who was declared by the Comelec as a nuisance candidate.
Comelec credited Jalosjos Jr. the 5,424 votes cast in favor of by nuisance candidate Federico Jalosjos. On June 23, Jalosjos Jr. was proclaimed the winner.
But barely a month after Jalosjos assumed his post, the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order prior to the Comelec’s May 10 and June 7 orders, which prompted the House secretary-general to remove him from the roster of the House of Representatives.
He said that there must be a law setting a timetable as to how many days the Comelec have to come out with a resolution whether a candidate is a nuisance or not to prevent a repeat of his unfortunate experience if and when he is permitted to return to his post in the House.
“I will file the same bills that I filed [earlier],” he said. “One of the key provisions of his proposed legislation is to impose a 45-day time limit on the Comelec to determine whether a candidate is a nuisance candidate and should be disqualified, so that the name will not be included in the ballot, so that there will be no confusion during the elections,” he said.
“We must be clear about how long it takes to identify a nuisance candidate. There should be a time frame. We cannot just ‘leave things be’ or ‘keep the course’ for a couple of years or longer,” Jalosjos added.
If there is confusion, he added, “The right of the people to vote is jeopardized.”
Jalosjos’ removal from the House roster has been questioned by Surigao Rep. Ace Barbers in a parliamentary inquiry, saying that it was contrary to House rules.