Papin disqualified from Bulacan congressional race

MANILA, Philippines - The Second Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified singer Imelda Papin from running as congresswoman in the lone district of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan for failing to meet residency requirements.

In a 10-page resolution, the Comelec gave weight to the petition for disqualification filed by Zosimo Lorenzo of the Arangkada San Joseño political party against Papin. 

It said Papin’s certificate of candidacy (COC) “must be cancelled for making false material representation relating to her residence and for claiming that she is eligible to run for elective office.” 

In his petition, Lorenzo alleged that Papin made false representation when she declared in her COC that her address was Barangay San Manuel in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan when in fact she was a resident of Barangay Pasong Putik, North Fairview, Quezon City.

Lorenzo argued that Papin did not have the intention of living in San Jose del Monte City as the structure that she declared as her residence there “is a commercial establishment and actually not intended for human habitation.”

For her part, Papin claimed that she started to establish her presence in San Jose del Monte City in 2002 when she bought a property when she opened a soap-manufacturing business there.

Papin said her application for transfer of voter’s registration was approved by Comelec’s Election Registration Board, indicating that she would be a “registered voter therein for at least six months immediately preceding the election.”