A mayor in the Province of Capiz suspended in February 2025 was reelected in the May 2025 midterm elections.

Mayor Receliste Escolin was proclaimed mayor again of the Municipality of President Roxas, Capiz on May 13, 2025.

A petition for the cancellation of his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) was filed after his COC filing in October 2024.

He exceeded allegedly the term limit as an elected official, the petition cited.

Escolin was suspended by the Office of the Ombudsman for three months for simple misconduct.

The suspension took effect in February 2025. 

“Ang former punong barangay rin at dalawang kapitan ang nag-file ng petition. Actually, inutusan lang sila,” Escolin said.

Escolin strongly maintained that his last term was interrupted because of the three-month suspension.  

“Pinaintindi rin natin ang ating term na na-interrupt. Hindi natin na straight sa three consecutive terms bilang mayor ng President Roxas,” Escolin added.

According to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Capiz, Escolin will continue to serve as mayor while waiting for the decision of COMELEC Central Office.

“In as far as the Provincial Office ng COMELEC is concerned, hindi kasi ito dumaan sa amin kundi diretso nag-file sa Manila. Pero kung i-base natin ang fact na naano siya, na-proclaim being the winning candidate sa pagka-mayor sa President Roxas, meaning nito, walang order of suspension of proclamation. It is safe to say na pending pa ang case niya,” Atty. Salud Milagros Villanueva, election supervisor of COMELEC Capiz, pointed out.

As of this writing, GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas has tried to seek a comment from the petitioners.