ANTIQUE – The Commission on Elections’s (Comelec) First Division has cancelled the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for the May 2025 polls of Bugasong, Antique’s incumbent Mayor John Lloyd Pacete.
The mayor violated the three-term limit rule, according to the poll body.
This was confirmed to Panay News by Atty. Eduardo Fortaleza, legal counsel of aspirant Bugasong mayor, Provincial Board member Victor Condez, after they received the resolution from the Comelec’s First Division on December 27.
It was Condez who filed the petition on October 16, 2024, requesting the Comelec “to deny due course and to cancel” Pacete’s COC.
Condez’s camp discovered that Pacete filed a COC for reelection despite already being on his final and third term. He had served for three consecutive terms – 2016, 2019 and 2022.
“Kon pasugtan si Mayor Pacete nga magkandidato pa gid sa pagka-mayor sa Bugasong, maka-apat na run dya nga termino nga sunod-sunod or sagunson which is violative sa constitutional provision nga tatlo lang ka consecutive terms ang isa ka elective public official puede makadalagan kag mapilian sa the same nga position,” Fortaleza said.
For their part, Pacete’s camp said the mayor filed a COC for reelection after his term was cut short or disrupted in 2019 after he was jailed for a gun ban violation in April 2016.
He was sentenced to serve up to eight months in prison, or from April 2019 to December 2019, and failed to finish the remaining two months of his first term as well as the first six months of his second term.
During this time, the Comelec and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) had appointed an acting mayor.
Pacete assumed office after his jail time.
The Comelec’s First Division, in its argument, stated that although imprisoned, Pacete was not denied of his title as mayor.
“The foregoing premises consider, the Commission (First Division) holds that Respondent’s filing of his COC for the position of Mayor of Bugasong, Antique constitutes a violation of the three-term limit rule. Wherefore, premises considered, the Commission (First Division) resolved as it hereby resolves to grant the petition dated 16 October 2024. Accordingly, the Certificate of Candidacy of Respondent John Lloyd M. Pacete for the position of Mayor of Bugasong, Antique is hereby cancelled,” read part of the Comelec’s First Division resolution.
As of this writing, Pacete’s camp has yet to release an official statement.
Meanwhile, in a Panay News’ interview, Comelec Region 6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan said that Pacete could file a motion for reconsideration at Comelec en Banc.
“Sa subong bangod nga ining decision ang ginpagwa sang isa ka division, si Mayor Pacete may available pa nga option nga mag-file sang motion for reconsideration before the Commission en banc,” he said.
Ausan, however, could not determine how long the process or the hearing will take before the en banc could release a decision.
Condez is the sole opponent of Pacete for the upcoming midterm elections./PN
