Comelec must hold special election to fill late Acop’s seat, says his party NUP

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is mandated to hold a special election to fill the House seat of Antipolo Second District Representative Romeo Acop, the late congressman's party National Unity Party (NUP) said Monday.

Acop passed away on December 20.

“The vacancy date is understood to be December 20, 2025 based on official announcements. In cases of vacancy in the House of Representatives, Philippine law provides a clear constitutional and statutory basis for the conduct of a special election to fill the unexpired term,” the NUP said, citing Article 6, Section 9 of the Constitution, which states that the elected individual may serve the remained of the late lawmaker's term.

“This establishes the constitutional authority for special elections to fill congressional vacancies and limits the term of the elected replacement to the remaining portion of the unexpired term,” the party said.

The NUP also invoked Section 4 of Republic Act No. 7166: “In case a permanent vacancy shall occur in the Senate or House of Representatives at least one year before the expiration of the term, the Commission on Elections shall call and hold a special election to fill the vacancy not earlier than 60 days nor longer than 90 days after the occurrence of the vacancy.”

“Applying the statutory timetable to the vacancy date of 20 December 2025, the earliest permissible date for the special election on the 60th day is 18 February 2026 (Wednesday), while the latest permissible date on the 90th day is 20 March 2026 (Friday),” the NUP said.

This ruling, the NUP said, is also anchored on the April 2025 Supreme Court decision in Hagedorn v. House of Representatives.

Tributes

Also on Monday, present and former House leaders paid tribute to Acop during a memorial service held in Batasang Pambansa.

House leaders Faustino “Bojie” Dy III of Isabela and Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo City, as well with 19th Congress QuadComm chairpersons—Bienvenido Abante Jr. of Manila and former congressmen Joseph Stephen Paduano of Abang Lingkod,  Dan Fernandez of Laguna, and Robert Ace Barbers—took their turns in recalling their fond memories with Acop.

Barbers described Acop as the pillar of the QuadComm, which investigated the drug war deaths and crimes linked to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Fearless but objective, respectful yet uncompromising, always open to ideas to find the truth, sometimes fatherly soft, sometimes fatherly strict,” Barbers said.

“He was my able wing-man and he made my job a lot easier,” he added.

Abante, for his part, said Acop’s legacy was anchored on quiet resolve and moral courage left a lasting mark on Congress.

“They are made out of difficult choices, tested in moments of pressure, and proven when doing what is right comes at a personal cost,” he said.

“In our pursuit of truth and accountability, Representative Acop consistently stood on the side of justice. He never treated our hearings as mere political exercises or procedural obligations,” Abante added.

Speaker Dy, on the other hand, honored Acop as a lawmaker who lived a life of integrity, quiet strength, and genuine public service.

“We feel this loss deeply, not just because we lost a colleague, but because we lost a friend, a brother, and a man who gave his whole heart to public service,” Dy said.

“Today, we gather as one House, one family, united in both grief and gratitude,” he added. — BM, GMA Integrated News