Filtered By: Topstories
News

SC slammed for ruling on Limkaichong case


MANILA, Philippines – Former Rep. Jacinto Paras has accused the Supreme Court of "evading" the citizenship case against Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong for ruling that the issue should be handled by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET). Interviewed on local radio, Paras said the high court should have tackled the issue because the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had already ruled on Limkaichong’s citizenship. On Wednesday, SC justices ruled that the court was not the proper forum to determine Limkaichong’s citizenship. But according to Paras, Comelec decisions made en banc could be raised to the Supreme Court. Paras said he did not see the logic in Supreme Court's validating the proclamation of Limkaichong without even determining the lawmaker’s real citizenship. "How can you validate a proclamation of a candidate kung hindi mo alam kung Chinese ba o Filipino? [if you are not sure if she is Chinese or Filipino]... I mean what kind of logic is that [when] the SC validated the proclamation but did not rule on the citizenship?" Paras said. On May 17, 2007, the Comelec ruled Limkaichong as not a natural-born Filipino since her father, Julio Ong Sy, failed to acquire Filipino citizenship. But Limkaichong insisted that her father was already a naturalized Filipino at the time of her birth on Nov. 9, 1959. Limkaichong contested the House seat of the first district of Negros Oriental under the banner of the administration Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrat (Lakas-CMD) party in the 2007 mid-term elections. She won by 7,746 votes over her next rival, Olivia Paras, wife of Jacinto Paras. "Clarong-claro na dinedelay lang nila ito para makupo ng makaupo si Limkaichong for whatever reasons [it’s clear that they are just delaying this so that Limkaichong could assume the post]," said Paras. Paras also acknowledged that they could not question the Supreme Court’s decision, but said that they would file a motion for reconsideration. "Ganun na lang ang masasabi natin dahil kung kukwestyonin mo sila ide-declare ka rin nila in contempt dahil wala dapat makapag-question sa Korte Suprema [That’s the only thing we can say because if you question them they will hold you in contempt because nobody can question the Supreme Court]," Paras lamented. - Aie B. See, GMANews.TV
LOADING CONTENT