Taguig court orders removal of Lino Cayetano, wife from voters list

A Taguig court has directed the Commission on Elections' Election Registration Board (ERB) of Taguig City to exclude the names of former mayor Lino Cayetano and his wife Fille Cayetano from the list of official voters of a precinct in Barangay Usuan.

In a 14-page decision, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 153 said the couple failed to establish the required residency requirement and their petition for inclusion was filed out of time.  

“The decision is immediately final and executory. No motion for reconsideration shall be entertained,” the decision read. 

The case stemmed from the ERB’s disapproval of the Cayetanos' application to transfer their registration records in October 2024.

This prompted them to file a petition for inclusion before the Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Branch 74. The MTC granted their petition and directed that their names by included in the list.

The RTC then reversed the MTC’s ruling, finding that the petition was not timely filed.

It cited The Voter's Registration Act of 1996, which states that a person may not file a petition to include his name in the list of voters within 105 days prior to the regular election.

“In this case, the petition for inclusion was filed by the petitioners-appellees before the Metropolitan Trial Court on January 27, 2025, which is the 105th day before the regular election on May 12, 2025,” it said.

Further, the RTC said that the couple failed to prove that they are residents of their barangay for at least six months immediately preceding the upcoming elections on May 12.

It also said it did not agree with their argument that their domicile remains at the barangay despite the lease of a unit in another area.

In a statement, Cayetano said that they will use their right to appeal.

“Gagamitin namin ang karapatang i-apela ang desisyong ito, nang may buong kumpiyansa na ang katotohanan ay lalabas at ang hustisya ay makakamit,” he said.

(We will use our right to appeal this decision with full confidence that the truth will come out and that justice will be attained.)

He also extended his gratitude to his supporters and urged them to remain calm. — BM, GMA Integrated News

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