Will Malonzo’s son finally be allowed to sit in council?

Caloocan City Councilor Nora Nubla vowed yesterday to fight what she describes as an injustice to her constituents by filing anew a motion for reconsideration before the Court of Appeals barring Christopher "PJ" Malonzo from assuming his post as replacement in the city council for the late Councilor Eduardo "Popoy" Rosca.

Nubla’s move comes on the heels of a decision by the CA junking her petition to prevent Malonzo, son of former Caloocan Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo, from sitting in the council.

The CA said the younger Malonzo is entitled "to all the rights of the office until said appointment is declared invalid."

Nubla said the CA, in its decision, overlooked the question of the young Malonzo’s residency and the fact that he was not a registered voter in the barangay where he lived.

She said that apart from not being a bona fide resident of the subdivision where he allegedly lived, the young Malonzo was not a registered voter in District 1 and did not cast his vote there in the May 2004 elections.

Nubla said she received a certification from Barangay 177, Zone 5 officials contradicting the young Malonzo’s claim that he was a resident of Castle Spring Heights Subdivision in Caloocan City.

The councilor also pointed out that Malonzo’s nomination to replace Rosca was without the consent of the other members of their party, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats. The party members in Caloocan City claimed the former mayor insulted them by personally nominating his son to the vacated Council post.

The Sangguniang Panlusod of Caloocan earlier endorsed the appointment of Kirsten Joy Rosca, the late councilor’s daughter, to fill up the position vacated by her father as embodied in a resolution they passed.

Malonzo, for his part, said Nubla’s action was expected.

"That’s the beauty of democracy," he said. "But for now, let’s abide by the rule of law."

His father, who is the Lakas-CMD Caloocan chapter head, earlier argued that his son’s nomination was perfectly legal, valid and proper. The young Malonzo’s nomination was approved by authority of the President.

The young Malonzo took his oath of office last April before Caloocan RTC Executive Judge Victoria Isabel Paredes.

He has since failed to sit in the council following an injunction filed by Nubla before the local court. – With Pete Laude