Comelec recommends suspension of proceedings in Poe's DQ case

MANILA, Philippines - The law department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday recommended to suspend the legal proceedings of the disqualification case against Sen. Grace Poe due to the similar case filed against her before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

“The law department has recommended the suspension of the proceedings before the commission on the alleged ground that the case before the SET contains a prejudicial question determinative of the outcome of the election offense case pending before the commission, and subsequently filed before it,” Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim told lawmakers during the House of Representatives committee on suffrage and electoral reforms hearing.

Lim clarified that the commission has not yet resolved the issue on prejudicial question and added that the rules of the Comelec on preliminary investigation should be complied with.

The Comelec official said that "the rules mandate that if there is a verified complaint for an election offense, the investigative process has to be set into motion."

The commission may release a decision on the disqualification case against Poe by December.

Meanwhile, the Comelec summoned Poe to a hearing scheduled on November 3 for her to respond to the charges filed against her.

Three disqualification cases have been filed against Poe before the Comelec, seeking to invalidate her certificate of candidacy for president. Poe is also facing a disqualification case before the SET.

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