A new member of the House of Representatives is now on the “hot seat” after a petition was filed at the Commission on Elections questioning his citizenship which could subsequently reverse his proclamation.
In a case filed at the Comelec recently, petitioner Ruther Navera Flores, a Pasig City resident, sought the poll body to declare Marino, Samahan ng mga Seaman Inc. Party-list representative Jose Antonio G. Lopez as ineligible to be a member of the Lower House citing Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code and Section 9 of Republic Act No. 7941 also known as the Party-list System Act.
Under the measure, any person who is a permanent resident of or an immigrant to a foreign country shall not be qualified to run for any elective office unless he or she has waived status of permanent resident or immigrant of a foreign country.
In his pleadings, the petitioner stressed that Lopez failed to renounce his foreign citizenship making him ineligible to serve as a member of the House or any other elective post.
“Respondent Lopez is a permanent resident or immigrant of a foreign country, and, hence, clearly ineligible to run and hold public office as party-list representative for failure to satisfy the one-year residence requirement,” the petition read.
Lopez was also ineligible to hold public office for being a permanent resident and/or immigrant To the United States of America at the time of filing of certificate of candidacy and election as party-list representative, it further stated.
Petitioner also alleged Lopez has falsified public documents to make him qualified to run as Marino Party-list’s second nominee.
In his prayer, the petitioner asked the Comelec to resolve the issue soon or before the opening of the 18th Congress to avert the inopportune use of public funds and to assure the utmost service to the people.
“If and when he (Lopez) will get his proclamation, then he will be entitled to use the funds of the Filipino people, that is why we are asking the Comelec to act on this petition immediately and observe what is just and right,” Flores said.