Ormoc's Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez's won in May 2010 polls — SC

Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez won in the May 2011 elections, the Supreme Court ruled affirming a House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) decision on the case.

 

In a resolution, the court en banc dismissed a complaint filed by rival Eufrocino Codilla Jr. who asked for a reversal of the HRET ruling that upheld Torres-Gomez's victory in the May 2010 automated elections. 

 

Codilla contested a Commission on Elections decision to allow Torres-Gomez to replace her husband as congressional candidate for Leyte's Fourth District.

 

Gomez was disqualified to run in the congressional race for Ormoc City, as he lacked the one-year residency requirement.

 

Codilla said Torres-Gomez, like her husband, did not reside in the district.

 

But the court denied Codilla's petition for failing to show how HRET committed grave abuse of discretion.

 

Torres-Gomez got 101,250 votes in the May 2010 elections, or 24,701 more than Codilla's 76,549.

 

The high court also cited Codilla’s failure in complying with Rule 65 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure in filing the petition for certiorari.

 

The court said Codilla should have indicated in his petition the dates when he received the HRET resolution, when he filed his motion for consideration, if any, and when notice of denial was received.

 

The court said these dates were necessary to determine whether the petition was filed on time as required by the Rule's Section 4. — Mark Merueñas/VS, GMA News