Poll body denies DQ petition vs Abra town mayoral bet

BAGUIO CITY (April 7, 2025) -- The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc has ruled former Langiden, Abra mayor Artemio C. Donato Jr. is qualified to run in the mayoralty post in Pidigan town.



The motion for reconsideration lodged by suspended mayor Joseph Domino Valera against the poll body’s earlier ruling allowing Donato Jr.’s bid to the top post in Pidigan was denied after it said, “(it found) no cogent reason to reverse the earlier decision to dismiss the disqualification petition against (Donato Jr.)”.

Earlier last January 2025, the poll body junked the petition of Valera, whose daughter Obay is Donato Jr.'s foe in the mayoralty race, to cancel the certificate of candidacy (CoC) of Donato on residency issues. "The commission (first division) correctly dismissed the Petition for Petitioner's failure to prove that Respondent was unable to meet the residence qualification under Sec. 39 (a) of the Local Government Code of 1991 ["LGC] and this, the Respondent did not commit any material misrepresentation under Sec. 78 of the Omnibus Election Code ["OEC"] that will warrant the cancellation of his CoC," it said in its ruling released on April 3, 2025.

The resolution stressed that “the arguments presented by Valera in his motion for reconsideration are merely rehash of those previously presented in his earlier petition”. 

Thus, the COMELEC en banc further affirmed the earlier decision of its first division promulgated on January 23, 2025.

Earlier in January, this year, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Abra recommended Valera be placed under preventive suspension for 60 days, after complaints of grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a Public Officer, Conduct Prejudicial to the best interest of the Service, and Violation of Codes of Ethical Standard for Public Office were filed by three employees who claimed their Christmas Holiday benefits were not released by Valera.