By Villamor Visaya Jr.
KALINGA– A lawyer, who topped the votes for council members, has decried the delisting of his name as among those to be officially proclaimed in Tabuk City on May 13.
Lawyer Errol Comafay–who ran but lost in 2022 elections—received 41,582 votes to top the council winners.
“The people of Tabuk have spoken and they overwhelmingly gave the mandate,” he told this news correspondent in an online interview on May 13.
Comafay added that he felt the “love and empathy” of his constituents for his “overwhelming mandate” and for showing support to him.
“The COMELEC did not proclaim me. I would be proclaimed by the Supreme Court. We will file a motion with the Supreme Court. We will submit the election results to prove that the petition against me is baseless,” he said.
Tabuk City election office has claimed that they have implemented the en banc resolution upholding the Comelec 2nd Division resolution which cancelled Comafay’s candidacy.
Lawyer Gustavo Dalen, Tabuk City canvassers’ board chair, said in a briefing that they are just implementing the decision cancelling his candidacy for alleged material misrepresentation as a resident of Tabuk City.
“With the en banc decision, it is as if no (certificate of candidacy) was filed, and votes for Comafay are considered stray,” Dalen said in a briefing with reporters.
On May 13, Comafay garnered 41,582 votes, as of 12:46 p.m. on May 13 but he was not proclaimed.
Instead, the election canvassers’ board declared councilor re-elect Luchie Sarol who garnered 35,423 votes, as the number one councilor.#
