Special polls for Teves’ replacement readied

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started the preparations needed for a special poll to fill the vacancy in the House of Representatives created by the expulsion of Negros Oriental Third District representative Arnolfo Teves Jr.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the special elections would likely be held in the second week of December.

Garcia said the poll body is capable of conducting the special polls soon after the conduct of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 30.

He cited the possibility of handing out next month a decision on the proposal to suspend the barangay and SK elections in the province’s third district.

“We have started computing to determine how much we are going to spend. Later and before September ends, we can start printing ballots for the elections in Negros Oriental,” Garcia said in Filipino.

He said the Comelec is closely monitoring the situation in Negros Oriental after the Philippine National Police classified the province among areas to be possibly placed under the “red category” of the election areas of concern.

Teves’ expulsion stemmed from the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo and nine others on March 4.

The killing occurred at Degamo’s residence in Pamplona town as the governor was distributing aid to the beneficiaries of the government’s cash grant.

Teves left the country for the US in February supposedly to undergo stem cell treatment.

He has not returned since, a move that contributed to his expulsion from the House.

Earlier, Garcia said the third district must be represented in Congress immediately after the expulsion of Teves.

He said that Teves, at this time, is not perpetually disqualified from seeking public office as there is no conviction by a final judgment, and that the removal is only administrative in nature.