By Miriam G. Desacada
Kananga Leyte–Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez on May 8th filed at the Comelec a precautionary motion to suspend proclamation of Leyte 4th district congressional candidate, Vicente “Ching” Veloso III, in the event that the latter will emerge the winner against the mayor’s husband, incumbent Representative Richard Gomez.
Lucy petitioned the Comelec to issue an order “suspending the proclamation of Ching Veloso “in the remote possibility” that he wins the election. She cited that she had an earlier motion to disqualify Ching that is still unresolved by final judgment on the day of elections.
Electoral laws state that if evidence to disqualify a candidate is strong, yet the motion remains pending until elections, a petitioner (Lucy in this case) may ask in advance the Comelec to suspend the proclamation of the winning candidate who had been the subject of the disqualification case she filed with the commission.
Lucy said that, while the petition is allowed by law, it is a precautionary measure that could likewise prevent the consequences of proclaiming a disqualified candidate (Ching in this case).
The petition to disqualify Ching was filed earlier by Lucy for alleged violation of Section 261 (e) of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), such as threatening or intimidating voters or campaign to influence votes.
She further moved that Ching, based on Section 68 of the OEC, could be disqualified if found guilty of violating electoral laws such as giving money or other material consideration to influence, induce or corrupt the voters;
Committing terroristic acts to enhance his candidacy; and overspending, among others.
Ching shall be disqualified from continuing as a candidate or, if elected, from holding the office, Lucy cited election laws, the reason why she filed before the Comelec a precautionary motion to suspend proclamation against Ching Veloso.
Ching, when asked for comment by the media, stated that Lucy is only harassing him and disturbing the election process to protect her husband’s impending defeat. She even filed cases against the mayors of the district for not supporting Richard’s reelection bid.
Ching said that this disqualification case Lucy filed recently was her second attempt to oust him from the congressional race against Richard. The first one was her claim of non-residency or that he was not a resident of the 4th district, thus unqualified to run for the district’s congressional seat. This petition was eventually dismissed by Comelec, which found him a bona fide resident of Isabel town, a part of the 4th district.
Lucy based her disqualification petition on incidents that happened before the election period, said Ching about Lucy use of a supporting video that was done on November 8 last year. At the time, all of us were not yet official candidates, despite the filing of our certificates of candidacy (COC).
“We were yet classified as aspirants, not candidates yet, not until the start of the election period in January 2025,” Ching argued. “Thus, how could I commit an election offense or violated election laws when I was not, along with her and everybody, yet an official candidate because the election period had not started yet at the time?”
In the presented video, Lucy even called him “Atty. Patay” in reference to the allegations of threat raised by her and Richard against him in November last year.
“Lucy is only out to disturb the elections by harassing me to protect her husband who is obviously bound for defeat,” declared Ching to the media. —-Miriam G. Desacada