House tribunal unseats Malabon-Navotas lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has unseated a Malabon-Navotas legislator from the administration bloc after a recount showed that his rival obtained the highest number of votes.

In a 65-page ruling, the nine-member HRET unanimously voted to unseat Rep. Alvin Sandoval, who, according to the body headed by Supreme Court (SC) Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, lost to Josephine Veronica “Jaye” Lacson with a margin of 542 votes in the May 2007 elections.

Last April, the HRET expelled Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez as a member of the 14th Congress due to lack of residency.

Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan, head of the House contingent in the HRET, said Sandoval has until Oct. 5 to file his motion for reconsideration on the ruling, which was promulgated last Sept. 24.

“But in filing the motion for reconsideration, Sandoval should present new arguments to reverse the ruling,” said Domogan, who made the ruling public yesterday.   

The order said Lacson, a candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, got a total of 70,655 votes or 542 votes higher than the 70,113 votes received by Sandoval, then Lakas-CMD congressional candidate, during the recount of ballots.

Lacson questioned in her petition the alleged cheating that happened in 623 of the 1,436 precincts in Malabon City-Navotas, where the original votes during the proclamation were 71,490 for Sandoval and 70,331 for her or a difference of 1,159 votes.

“Lacson claimed she would have obtained a greater number of votes if not for the fraud and irregularities that marred the election,” the HRET said.

Sandoval is an ally of President Arroyo and brother of former congressman Ricky Sandoval, who lost the mayoralty election in 2007 to Mayor Toby Tiangco.   

Aside from Ynares-Santiago and Domogan, the other members of HRET were Justices Conchita Carpio Morales and Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez, Reps. Fredenil Castro of Capiz, Roberto Cajes of Bohol, Solomon Chungalao of Ifugao, Justine Marc Chipeco of Laguna and Florencio Miraflores of Aklan.