Estradas to follow SC ruling on San Juan recall elections

MANILA, Philippines — The Estrada family will abide by the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the petition of San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez to stop the recall elections in the city, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said yesterday.

“The high court is the final arbiter. We have no choice but to follow whatever decision the SC will hand down,” Estrada said in an interview with The STAR.

In a 52-page petition filed on Friday, Gomez asked the SC to stop the recall polls ordered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

SC justices deferred ruling on Gomez’s motion for issuance of a temporary restraining order and opted to seek comments first from the Comelec and the petitioners.

The camp of losing mayoral bet and former vice mayor Francis Zamora filed a petition for recall against Gomez in September last year.  

The verification of signatures and thumb marks of the 30,000 individuals who signed the petition, which was scheduled from April 25 to May 1 at the San Juan Elementary School in Barangay Balong Bato was reset after the poll body failed to release the budget for the process.

The Comelec changed the venue to Pinaglabanan Elementary School. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe