Manila - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially proclaimed Roberto Uy Jr. as the representative of the 1st District of Zamboanga del Norte. The proclamation occurred at the Comelec main office in Manila, following the Supreme Court's (SC) ruling which confirmed Uy as the legitimate winner of the May 2022 elections.
According to Philippines News Agency, the proclamation ceremony was the culmination of a legal dispute stemming from the Provincial Board of Canvassers' (PBOC) initial declaration of Romeo Jalosjos Jr. as the winning candidate.
The controversy involved the votes of Frederico Jalosjos, who was declared a nuisance candidate. On election day, Uy garnered 69,591 votes, while R. Jalosjos received 69,109 votes, F. Jalosjos had 5,424 votes, and another candidate, Richard Amazon, obtained 288 votes. After the Comelec's decision to declare Frederico a nuisance and redirect votes to Romeo, Uy appealed to the SC, which issued a status quo ante order and later ruled that the Comelec had committed grave abuse of discretion. Uy, a former mayor of Polanco town in Zamboanga del Norte, has pledged to work diligently for the development of his district, focusing on livelihood, education, sports, and infrastructure. Meanwhile, R. Jalosjos has filed a motion for reconsideration with the High Court, seeking to reverse the annulment of his initial proclamation.