Disqualification petition filed vs. Rep. Stella Quimbo has no legal basis —lawyer

Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo's camp said on Friday the disqualification petition filed against her has no legal basis.

"Atty. De Vera’s interpretation of the law is patently self-serving, erroneous, and has no legal basis," Atty. Beng Sardillo, counsel of Quimbo, said.

"As such, it is not surprising that not a single legal authority, Court or tribunal has agreed with his erroneous understanding of the law," she added.

Former ABS party-list Representative Eugene de Vera filed a quo warranto petition before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) seeking Quimbo's removal from the rolls of the House.

In his petition, de Vera argued that Quimbo was disqualified from running for office and being a member of the House because the Philippine Competition Law, which created the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) in which Quimbo served as a Commissioner, prohibited a previous PCC Commissioner from immediately running for office.

De Vera lost to Quimbo in the May 2019 elections.

Quimbo was appointed as PCC Commissioner in January 2016 and was supposed to serve as such for seven years. However, she resigned in 2018 and filed her candidacy for Congress in November of the same year.

Sardillo said de Vera should move on and accept his defeat.

"This petition, we believe, will share the fate of his other legal maneuvers, and we are confident that the HRET will similarly rule against him," she said.

"It’s time for him to move on and accept the will of the people of Marikina. Teacher Stella Quimbo obtained almost 85% of total votes resoundingly defeating De Vera. Kung mahal nya ang Marikina, he should respect the overwhelming will of the majority of our people," Sardillo added. —KG, GMA News