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Comelec stops party-list from changing representatives


The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied the petition of a party-list group for one of its members to replace their current representative in Congress.   In a statement Monday, the Comelec dismissed the petition of the Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Philippines Inc. for the poll body to allow them to replace their resigned party-list nominee Rep. David Kho.   The poll body said Kho resigned last December to give way to the group's fourth nominee, a certain Remedios Arquiza. The commission, however, dismissed the petition for lack of merit.   “Considering that it is an admitted fact that the resignation of Rep. Kho was made by virtue of a prior agreement of the parties, we resolve and hereby rule that we cannot recognize such arrangement and accordingly we cannot approve the movement in the order of nominees for being contrary to public policy,” Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said in a ruling promulgated June 27.   Earlier in the year, the poll body already issued Comelec Resolution 9366, which prohibits term sharing among party-list nominees.   “The term of office of public officials cannot be made subject to any agreement of private parties. Public office is not a commodity that can be shared, apportioned or be made subject of any private agreement. Public office is vested with public interest that should not be reined by individual interest," said Brillantes, the ponente of the Senior Citizens' case. — Kimberly Tan/VS, GMA News

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