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MAGALANG, Pampanga: The Commission on Election
allowed Lyndon Cunanan to continue serving as the mayor of Magalang
following the move of the newly installed Comelec chairman
questioning the decision of the Angeles City Regional Trial Court
and regional office of the Department of Interior and Local
Government (DILG) declaring Romulo Pecson winner of the last
elections.
Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said
during the hearing of the case at the Comelec that RTC has no
jurisdiction over the case because it is still pending before the
Comelec.
Because of this, Melo allowed
Cunanan to continue holding holding office pending the decision.
At the same time, the Comelec
gave both parties five days to submit their respective memoranda
before the commission issues its final decision.
The hearing stemmed from the DILG
having affirmed the RTC decision declaring Pecson as winner in the
electoral protest despite the April 1 hearing set by Comelec.
Pecson, Angeles City businessman
and owner of Roel’s Hotdog, has been holding office and signing
documents since March 24 because of the DILG’s decision to affirm
RTC’s decision.
Pecson said that “considering
that no injunction or order has been issued by Comelec suspending
the writ of execution issued by the RTC Branch 56 in EPE Case No.
(07) 0751 Re: Romulo Pecson versus Lyndon Cunanan, the DILG regional
office pursuant to the writ hereby recognized Romulo Pecson as the
Mayor of the Municipality of Magalang.” A memorandum from DILG
Regional Director Josefina Castilla-Go stated the DILG position as
such before March 24.
--Mark Louie P. Roxas
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