The Supreme Court en banc virtually junked with finality the results of a recount of mayoral votes that installed Rommel David, defeated mayoral candidate of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in the 2013 polls, against independent Mayor Miguel Rivilla.
David assumed post belatedly from last December to February after a judge “imported” from Benguet ordered a recount of votes that invalidated hundreds of ballots favoring Rivilla and ordered David to assume the mayoral post. This, despite an earlier order of the Paniqui regional trial court (RTC) which had already dismissed David’s mayoral protest way back in 2013.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) later overturned the decision of the Paniqui judge, prompting David to appeal the case before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court, however, has dismissed the petition for certiorari filed by David for his “failure to sufficiently show any grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Commission on Elections which had declared Miguel C. Rivilla the winning mayor in the 2013 local elections.”
“The Comelec did not commit any grave abuse of discretion in rendering the challenged resolution which, on the contrary, appears to be in accord with the facts and applicable law and jurisprudence,” the High Court said in its verdict.
