Sanchez says move to unseat him similar to Compostela case

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Vice-Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr. is apprehensive that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will do to him what it did to the proclaimed officials of Compostela.

 He said the plan to unseat him has the same pattern with that of the Compostela town dispute.

Defeated vice-gubernatorial candidate Glenn Soco filed an election protest against Sanchez after the May 10, 2010 national and local elections.

Both cases of Compostela and of Soco are being handled by the Second Division of the Comelec headed by presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.

Sanchez said that like what happened in Compostela, Ferrer alone signed orders for the Division although he has two Commissioners.

He also learned that lawyers in the Compostela case belong to the law firm hired by Soco.

“They are doing heaven and earth to remove me in office,” Sanchez said following the recent order of Comelec that shot down Sanchez’s motion for reconsideration for having been submitted outside the five-day reglamentary period.

Sanchez filed the motion for reconsideration last September 3 after he was placed on default for not attending the preliminary conference last July and not issuing a reply on the election protest filed by Soco against him.

Soco’s lawyer, Beulah Coeli Fiel, earlier said the order will help pave the way “for the collection and eventual revision of the ballots.”

But Sanchez said he “did not value” the recent Comelec order and added that it is up to his lawyer to do their work.

The Comelec has yet to resolve the election protest filed by former mayor Ritchie Wagas against proclaimed mayor Joel Quiño.

Quiño took his oath as mayor but was not able to assume office after his proclamation, along with that of other newly-elected officials, was suspended by the Comelec.

Sanchez said that the difference between his case and that of Compostela is that he is already performing his functions when Soco filed the protest.

He added that if the Comelec Second Division will follow the same pattern as in Compostela, his proclamation and assumption in office can also be suspended.

In Compostela, the Comelec order was served on July 1, the first day in office of the newly elected officials in the last elections. By then, Quiño had taken his oath as mayor on June 28 along with the rest of his town council members.     (FREEMAN NEWS)